The Slow Boat to China

Hayden is growing up

2009-01-27T12:17:00.002-06:00

We just received Hayden's update, and she is growing like a weed. She now weighs 12. 9 lbs, and is 23.6 inches long. I was really hoping for a smile, but I will settle for the focus this child seems to have. She is meeting her milestones, and looks like she is doing well, and looks happy and healthy.Now we just need a court date and get this train moving out of the station. We are ready to go get our girl and get her home where she belongs:) I do love that it seems her foster mom keeps Hayden in pink.....just like it is suppose to be:)

BoBo Tea a.k.a. Bubble Tea

2009-01-24T10:26:00.002-06:00

Bubble tea, also called "Boba" tea, is a Taiwanese tea beverage containing gelatinous tapioca pearls. It originated in Taiwan in the 1980s, spread to nearby East Asian countries, and migrated to Canada before spreading to Chinatown in New York, then to various spots throughout the West Coast of the United States[1]. The literal translation from Chinese is pearl milk tea (traditional Chinese: 珍珠奶茶; Tongyong Pinyin: jhenjhu nǎichá; Hanyu Pinyin: zhēnzhū nǎichá). The word "bubble" refers to "bubbling", the process by which certain types of bubble tea are made, and not the actual tapioca balls. The balls are often called "pearls." Drinks with large pearls are consumed along with the beverage through wide straws; while drinks with small pearls are consumed through normal straws. Bubble tea is especially popular in many East Asian and Southeast Asian regions such as Taiwan, China (including Hong Kong and Macau)I finally made it to Dr*gon Berries yesterday to try the bubble tea. I had the coconut and I loved it! I think I ate too many pearls though. I think the next time I will make sure I leave a lot of the pearls in my cup. The pearls made me think of soft gummy bears. It was weird, but in a good way. The milk tea was really good. I look forward to trying this in Taiwan.If you have the chance to try it.....do!

Matilda Jane is having a SALE!!

2009-01-10T22:35:00.003-06:00

If you haven't shopped at Matilda Jane, I highly recommend you head over there and check it out. I adore this site, and her stuff. The big ruffle pants are my favorite, but I also love the knot dresses, and as soon as Hayden is walking, don't doubt she will have plenty of both!!! I love when she has a sale.......so go now, what are you waiting for??

WII Fit anyone???

2009-01-04T10:37:00.003-06:00

My step-son is home from college for the holiday break, and is not working as he has a job back in the town where he goes to school. So he took his Christmas money and has been stalking the electronic stores for the WII consoles and WII fit, so he could sell them. He has taken the hard part out of the task for you......he is the one getting up in the middle of the night to go stand in line for these crazy(but fun) things. So if you are interested in a WII Fit, or a WII game system email me, and he can get one out to you. He is charging just a flat $5 for shipping. If you have been thinking about getting one of these but haven't started searching for one.....trust me when I say it is not an easy task to get your hands on one of these.

Happy New Year!!

2008-12-31T16:02:00.002-06:00

This is our year, and it feels so good to say it!! While the year has flown by, it still seemed like another year left in limbo, and now we see the not only the light at the end of the tunnel, we can actually see the end of the tunnel.

So as we ring in 2009 here in Dallas, know I am wishing you and your family, health, happiness, prosperity, and hoping all of your dreams come true. Thank you for your friendship, good wishes and blessings!!

So......out with the old, in with the new!!

Thank you Santa, this is all I wanted!!!

2008-12-23T18:25:00.004-06:00

Oh my goodness, all I really wanted was an update on our girl, and I was convinced that was not going to happen until next week. But I came home to the best gift ever.

Look at our girl!!!! I am just head over heels in love with this girl. I think that is a little dimple coming out on one of those cheeks!!! I can't wait to get my hands on her.

Christmas Hearing

2008-12-20T08:57:00.004-06:00

Our first hearing is scheduled for Christmas day. So less than a week from now Hayden's birthmother will have to go to court to express her desire for adoption. This is what starts our court process, and then we will hope that we hear nothing. No news is good news under these circumstances. I am sure this will be a very difficult day for her, and I will be hoping that she can find some peace and comfort in her decision. I think she wants a better life for her daughter, and we will do everything to provide that for her. But it will never leave my mind and heart that this women is giving me the most valuable gift ever, and I will never be able to thank her in a way that will suffice, other than to give her baby girl the life that she hopes for her to have.

Santa, all I want for Christmas is..............

2008-12-09T15:42:00.005-06:00

Here was Sophie and Finley's visit to Santa yesterday!! I just want you to know the one where Sophie looks like she might be talking to Santa.....She is actually asking Santa to take Finely back to the NorthPole with him!! Finely is trying to convince Santa that she is a very good girl, and that she never ever bugs Sophie!!
Yes, I know I am a freak that I took my cockers to a boutique Childrens Store(that I do all of their embroidery) and paid to have our dogs picture taken with Santa. Can you believe how much he really looks like Santa??? He actually loves our dogs!!!

Happy Birthday Baby

2008-12-07T22:43:00.002-06:00

*Yesterday Hayden was 3 months old!!!I am so anxious to see her update, I am certain she will have changed so much. I hope she is smiling now.

* I love etsy Lassiegirl and Pish Posh are two of my favorites. So much to buy, so little money to buy it all.

* I am picking up the dresser I bought for Hayden's room on Wednesday. They painted a very pale pink, and I can't wait to see it in her room. I am almost done with the room, and as soon as it is all complete, I will post some pictures. It has turned out even prettier than I envisioned. My friend came over the other day, and she walked in and said it looked like it was out of a magazine....now that is a compliment in my book!!

* Hayden's care package arrived last week, so I hope her foster family uses some of the items we sent.

* Went to our first Christmas party on Friday, one down and only 2 to go. We limited the number of parties we rsvp'ed to this year. Did I mention that I am sort of over going to Christmas parties.

* D and I went to a Yoga class today, and I know better than to lay by him....he got me laughing, and the teacher came over at the end of the class and said she was worried that I was either laughing or having a seizure....I was trying to keep quiet. No more Yoga for D, at least not with me:)

* We cleaned all of our flower beds out and mulched all the leaves this afternoon. I feel so much better having that accomplished.

* My Christmas cards are almost ready to go out. I think I should be able to put almost all of them in the mail on Tuesday.

* Just bought Photoshop Elements 7, we will see how it goes. Any advice, please feel free to offer it up.

* We have sent the letter to pull our paperwork out of China. It was time to be done with our China agency. Had planned on waiting until we were home, and give us a few months to decide, but it was time, and a little bittersweet, but I am glad to be cutting our ties with our agency. I wish them the best and hope that things get better for them.

*I owe many phone calls and many thank you notes. I am swamped in embroidery right now with the holidays(my busiest season) and I promise they are coming, I am going to work on checking that off my list this week.

*I sell these great address stamps for a great price on my site and if you stop by take a look, and enter the coupon code "holiday" I will give you a 10% discount on your stamp. These make great holiday gifts as everyone can use one, and mine are one of the best deals on the internet. I can get them to you in about 10 days, so if you want them by Christmas you still have time!

Well that is about all I have working right now here in the great state of Texas. Oh, my good friends are in China right now picking up their twin boys(yes, you heard me right, twin boys)

I am outta here for a bit, I will see you around the neighborhood:)

So now what?

2008-11-23T19:33:00.002-06:00

Mostly we just wait now. We are hoping that we will get an update with pics, video and milestones, but we may not until next month. Our paperwork is there, and now we just wait to hear for our first hearing. But here is a step by step list of whats to come in the next few months. I did steal this from Lisa, and Heather....Thanks

HEARING: 1-3 MONTHS AFTER OUR PAPERWORKD GETS FILED IN TAIWANa) The family court office in the county where the child was born reviews the case/petition and a Judge is assigned to the case.b) The judge reviews and considers the case and schedules a "hearing". Hearings are handled differently depending on the circumstances of the birth family, the judge's schedule, persons representing the birth family and those representing the adoptive family. The time involved in getting a hearing scheduled depends on the judge's schedule (docket) and that of everyone else required to attend.Hearings can result in: The immediate decision to finalize the adoption (though this is rarely the case) or the judge may request more information (again, this is rare). Usually, the hearing simply provides the judge with more information about the case and allows him/her to rule on the adoption with confidence. Most often, the judge's decision (final ruling) happens weeks or even as long as months after the hearing.

Time line for 1st ruling - 1 to 3 months after hearing.2. Part I of Final Decree(First Ruling). Once the hearing has been completed and the judge has had time to review all the information, he/she issues the first part of the Final Decree. This is a short statement signed by the judge that is forwarded to all parties involved (social services organization on behalf of the adoptive family and the birth family) notifying everyone of his/her decision to finalize the adoption. This first part of the Final Decree must go to each party and there is a waiting period of 10 days before any further court action can occur. The birth family has until the end of this 10 day period to change their mind regarding the adoption. Once the 10 day period is passed however, the judge can make the final decree.Time line for 2nd Ruling - 2-6 weeks after the 1st ruling3. Part II of Final Decree (Second Ruling). Once the 10 day waiting period is over (and the court staff finds time!), the second part of the Final Decree is forwarded to all parties. When the second part of the decree is received by your child's social service organization, the court process is DONE!

Time line for official paperwork 2-4 weeks4. Household registration change and immigration requirements. Before the adoptive family travels, a lot must be accomplished by the child's social service organization. All court documents and background info on the child must be officially translated to English and submitted with certain paperwork to AIT. Also, the child must have his/her Visa medical exam which is forwarded directly (unopened) to AIT's immigrant visa office. At some point the child's guardian must file for a household registration change. The household registration is a file located at local government offices in Taiwan that contains certificates and information about each person in Taiwan. Your child's household registration is attached to his/her guardian's file until the adoption has been finalized by the Taiwan courts.

Once the child has been legally adopted in Taiwan, the guardian files with the government office to remove the file from theirs and create a new file showing that the adoptive parent(s) are the new legal guardians.The household registration change takes a day or two or a week depending on the placing organization and the local government office.JOH families are typically given 1 to 3 weeks notice to travel. Adoptive Family receives travel date. Each organization in Taiwan is different in when and how they schedule a travel date. Some wait until all of the above paperwork is filed and then give the family notice to travel quickly. Some schedule the travel in advance, while they work at preparing the above documents.So.. that means that within 4-6 months we can travel to Taiwan to pick our girl up.

Trip to TECO

2008-11-18T12:53:00.002-06:00

Okay so this is TECO in Houston(well the 20th floor) Greenway Plaza. You can see there are still some windows out from Hurricane IKE, but it was easy to get there and in and out quickly.....and they were really nice, very unlike my trip to the Chinese Consulate so long ago.
Here is the actual office, and I was one of 3 people in there, walked in handed her my papers, she doublechecked them, wrote my receipt, collected the money, and said to come back in 2 hours. She then asked how old my baby was, and how I was matched with her. I then of course had to show her a picture. She was so sweet about Hayden, and then proceeded to show the other ladies in the office the picture. They were all just telling me what a beautiful girl I had, and what beautiful eyes she had. It was very sweet. When I came back to get the paperwork, they had it ready for me, and as I left they said I would have to stop back by when I got her home so that they could meet her:) Yeah that didn't happen at the Chinese Consulate.

Here is the TECO stamp that you need for your paperwork. I was expecting a sheet on the front, but all of the documents had this stamp for the authentication. The paperwork for this adoption has been so much easier than our paperwork was with China. It is to the point, and clear cut on who needs to do what, and not a lot of duplication.

Our paperwork left for the agency last night with Fed Ex, and should be leaving for Taiwan today!!! So things are going well, and smooth at this point, and we are now looking forward to our first update.

High Ho, High Ho it's off to TECO I go

2008-11-16T12:08:00.003-06:00

Well one last step in the process to get us started in our court process, and that includes a trip to Houston to TECO(Taiwan's version of a consulate) I have to get our paperwork authenticated, so I am headed this afternoon to Houston to spend the night with my sweet MIL, and will be at TECO when they open in the morning to drop off the paperwork and go back to pick it up a few hours later I hope, and then into the FedEx envelope it will go. After a stop at our agency, it should be in Taiwan on Thursday.

I will post the process that we will go through once I am back home. But I don't expect to be hearing much for at least 6 weeks or so. I do think we will be getting an update right before Thanksgiving, so we will get to see how much our girl has grown, and how much she has changed. So we will be looking forward to that update.

So that is all that is going on right now except for the fact that I have started to get really busy with Holiday stuff with my business. I am knee deep in things that need to be embroidered. So I have plenty to keep me busy for the next 6 weeks. We are boxing up our care package, and I will mail it in the next week or so. We think Hayden is probably about 2-3 weeks from being moved to her foster home. So I want to send it, so that it arrives shortly after she moves.

Hope everyone has had a great weekend, and the upcoming week looks good!!

Thank You

2008-11-11T18:15:00.003-06:00

I will never be able to email or write thank yous or call everyone that has been in touch with me the last week. We received so many nice wishes, and congratulations, flowers, gifts.....it was all so overwhelming. You forget how many people care about you.

I truly want to say thank you to each and everyone of you that has been a part of this journey with us. I do not know how I would have ever made it without my friends, the friends that I made, the stories, the blogs, the good and the bad and the ugly. This is really a journey no one understands unless they witness it themselves.

So from the bottom of our hearts please know how important each and everyone of you are, and know how thankful we are to have you in our lives and along for this journey.

We are still just flying high, and looking forward to finishing up our paperwork and getting this court process started.

You can go to You Tube and search Hayden referral and see the video I have of our little Missy.
I think she is already a little dramatic just like her mama!!

Our turn has finally come!!

2008-11-04T11:44:00.007-06:00

For reasons I will not share, I have had to remove our good news. Thank you to all that have sent such lovely messages to us....they have meant so much. I especially would like to thank everyone for their friendship over the last 30 or so months, could not have made it without you. You have helped make this one of the most amazing weeks of my life.............I am a MOMMY!!

I will be going password protected, so make sure to those who know me, and I have communicated with to send me your email so I make sure you can continue along with our journey.....it is just starting to get to the good stuff!!! I will send you an email letting you know the new address as soon as I get it ready, trying to do it myself, and redecorating my house~piece of cake, new blog~not so much:)

"i" love you

2008-11-02T16:02:00.002-06:00

Look at my newest toy!!! I am in love:) My very sweet husband was feeling bad for me(those who know me, know why) and he came home on Thursday night and surprised me with this little gadget that I didn't even know that I wanted, needed, or couldn't live my life without. Now I understand why everyone that has one says it is amazing, and you can never go back to a regular phone. I am pretty sure this phone would clean my house and do a few loads of laundry if I asked....it is that amazing. So thank you to the sweet man I married, it did make me feel better, and now I also have a really cool phone too.

Project Dogway

2008-10-30T16:55:00.002-06:00

I bought the dogs pink coats....no, not for winter, no, not to keep them warm and dry, mostly because I thought it would be funny.....it was and it is, not so much to them:)

If only I lived in PA.

2008-10-28T19:08:00.003-06:00

If I lived in PA or NJ or even NY, I would be driving to the Lilly warehouse sale. Someday, I will actually make it to this preppy crazed shopping experience. I will be in heaven, and I will buy to my preppy hearts content. If you live in the area I highly suggest you high tail it over there and check it out.....I have heard it is amazing. Oh how I love pink and green and boy do I love LP, hail to the Lilly!! They will have really cute little girl clothing as well.

Look what the postman delivered!!

2008-10-20T19:06:00.003-06:00

I have been patiently waiting for this pinnie to arrive, and it did today. It far exceeded my expectations. How cute is this pinafore? It is reversible, and I can just see it with jeans, leggings, a long sleeve t-shirt under it, maybe some cute bloomies. I am just in love. It could have only been made better had I been able to monogram it. I bought it here
Ashley's things are really well made, and the fabric is great quality. Trust me when I say that I will be frequenting Lassie girl's shop a lot. I covet many of the things she has on there. Go visit her and let her know I sent you:)

Can't wait to see my sweet girl in this darling dress. It is my favorite thing in her closet right now.

Look what I made.

2008-10-16T17:12:00.002-06:00

I have no idea if I will need this or not, but I have always wanted a boppy, and now I have a boppy. You can buy a boppy insert at Jo-Ann's using your 40% coupon, and I have had this old chenille bedspread for about 3 years now waiting to do something with it. Well now I have done something with it. How cute is this cover?? I tell you I don't care if we ever use it, it looks really cute, and right now that is what I care about:) It can just look nice in the nursery.

Is there a twelve step program for this??

2008-10-15T10:40:00.003-06:00

I don't think the numbers are that bad if you are already home with your baby, in fact I think you could use a bit more in the way of choices if you are already home. But considering we have no idea when we will be home with a baby this seems a little obsessive. I know you all can make me feel better with some good justifying reasons for having this many accessories when it is all still pretend. That is 19 pairs of shoes and 51 hairbows. I have actually added to those bows since this picture was taken, I now have no room left on the hanger and will need to take off the ones that will be too big for her to wear for a bit so that I have room to add.

$o You Think You Can Dance???

2008-10-12T18:51:00.005-06:00

Yup, I love this show!!
Yup, I love Twitch!!
Yup, I was there Friday night, and I will load some pictures tomorrow for your viewing pleasure. It was awesome, it was better than the show, and they did all the dances I loved on the show.
Yup, it was great!!
Yup, there were a lot of teenage girls there!!
Yup, didn't care, we still had a ton of fun.
Yup, if it comes to your town it is worth the price of the ticket!!

For the love of Monograms

2008-10-06T13:04:00.003-06:00

I am absolutely giddy with how the baby's monogram turned out. It is in chocolate brown, and I think it looks amazing. I ordered it from here This is above the daybed I have in her room, and I think it has added a nice little touch to the wall.

What I love about fall

2008-10-05T14:15:00.004-06:00

I love how my entry way looks in the fall.....how cute is that wreath holder....zoom in so you can see what it says.

Look at that little pumpkin

2008-10-03T10:36:00.003-06:00

Sorry, but just had to post this picture. Look at my little girl!!! Is she so cute or what??

Wishing everyone a great weekend!!

My latest purchase

2008-10-02T10:04:00.005-06:00

Okay, over the course of 2 1/2 years of being in the adoption process I have looked at many items that I knew we would need. I have spent hours reading consumer reports on items that have safety standards. From traveling I had seen every make and model of stroller checked on the plane, and been to cities where it is a must to have a really good stroller. So I had long ago determined that I was getting the Maclaren Techno brown and pink stroller for my car. I had already purchased a less expensive Maclaren for D's car.

Well last week while at TJMa## with a friend(not shopping for a stroller) I come across this Peg Perego Pliko M3 stroller, it caught my eye because of the kelly green color. Because I have been looking at strollers on-line I know how much they all cost, and had just relaxed about the price of the stroller I was vying for. But I started pushing this green machine around and feeling how good it felt to drive, and then attempted to fold it up, which happend rather easily(not normally an easy task for any novice such as myself) I knew it was a fairly expensive stroller, and I was loved, loved, loved the color, the features it had and the the ease of driving it. But there was no price to be found....I love free!!

Anyway, we asked one of the sales people and she told us how she was not sure why someone had even removed it from its box(that was priced) and that she would have to find out for us. In the mean time I continued looking at it and experiencing all that it had to offer me. Then the manager came and said he had another particular stroller in the box if I was interested in looking at that one....it was more expensive than the one I am looking at and says it is $149.00......hmmmmmm I am thinking well then how much is the green machine if it is cheaper. He then says, how about I sell it to you for $119? I was in utter shock that I couldn't even speak for a minute, and then the thought raced through my mind that if I jump too quickly he will realize his mistake and tell me the "real" price. Thankfully my friend was there to tell him to mark it and we would take it!!! I almost felt guilty walking to the checkout, as it felt like I was shoplifting I was getting such a great deal. Needless to say the Maclaren pink and brown stroller will be going home with someone else, and I am thrilled with my big new green machine that I can remove the hood on and a big pink monogram will be going on soon:)

Good deal huh? I love when this happens, it doesn't happen often, but when it does it feels sooooo good.

Look who's home

2008-09-29T18:12:00.003-06:00

Baby Finley is home now. I flew home with her from Birmingham last Thursday, and she was treated like a famous first class passenger. The flight attendants on AA were beside themselves once they laid eyes on her, and Finley never saw the inside of her bag again! They carried her around the plane, she met the pilots, her mommy was treated to a sweet note and some yummy champagne, and then I got to hold her for landing and carried her right off the plane. Thank you to those girls, they made our flight quick, and fun, and memorable. Finley did great, she loves to be held, and snuggle, but she also likes to play tug a war with your hair(ouch) She and Sophie are getting along great. I think Sophie thinks we bought her a toy... a very small toy. Finley only weighs 4 lbs right now. Finley does not hesitate to let Sophie know that she is done playing, or that she doesn't like the game Sophie has picked(pull Finley by the tail game) and seems to be very capable of taking care of herself:) She is a fiesty little 4 lbs:) We are happy as ever to have two now, and we just need to bring home our last little girl, then we will be full!!

Nursery work has begun

2008-09-14T18:36:00.006-06:00

**good idea on the tulle, I will either figure out a way to secure it so that Miss Priss can't take it from the post, or we will do without the tulle:) Thanks for the suggestion. Things we don't always think about.

**I have always needed this room as my guest room, and once Shiyu left, that room really became available for us to start working on the room. No news right now, sorry didn't mean to stir up any notions, just thought I would share what I am doing right now. I do love to walk in there and sit, so I am happy that we did start**

I have always wanted a chandelier in the nursery, and I was so pleased to have found something close to that vision. I think it adds just that little extra that every princess should have in her room. My biggest challenge to date has been those little pink shades. If you have never looked for them, let me explain that they are not easy to find nor inexpensive, but it was something I had to have, and once D had it installed I just had to smile with such accomplishment. If we sell the house, the chandelier is going too!! The picture does not do it justice. We just need to put it on a dimmer now.

First let me say that I love the crib, I think the crib looks amazing with the pink walls(pink potion if you are curious) but that has not how I have felt for almost 3 years. Let me explain; my nephew is 14, and when my SIL was pregnant with him my MIL so generously bought her all of her nursery furniture. This was the crib, and it was beautiful in his nursery. But I had always envisioned either painted white wood or cream wrought iron for our crib. When we announced that we were adopting both my SIL and MIL immediately and generously offered Michael's crib. They said they had both hoped that it would get used again someday by someone in the family. Well with such a gracious offer how could I turn them down? So we happily accepted and loaded it in my car for the drive back to Dallas. While the practical side of me was happy about not having to buy an expensive crib, and the sentimental side of me was happy to use something that had been bought with so much care and love, there was this other part of me that was saying that I have waited nearly 40 years to have a baby, and like your wedding dress you just want to pick it out yourself....no hand me downs. Well obviously shortly after we took the crib we realized that we would not be getting a referral in 10-12 months as quoted, so we packed it away for "someday" Well as you can see someday has arrived, and when we painted the room, and put the crib together(no easy task) I just couldn't believe that for one second I considered not using this beautiful crib. I think it looks great and it doesn't even have the bedding yet. I think it will look amazing with the bedding. I am going to do tulle down the post to soften it a bit. I discussed with my MIL of putting some sort of small brass plaque with each childs name and birthday on the crib, and we will hope that someone else in the family will decide to use it as well and we can just keep passing it down.

This is the fabric I chose for the bedding. I love any and all Toile, and so I knew that I would always be using a pink toile once I was ready to start searching. So the toile will be the primary fabric on the bumper(with one panel that will have her monogram on of course) and the long crib skirt, and the choc brown shantung will be the ruffle and ties on the bumper, and the bottom trim of the skirt. I am using a pale pink shantung for the curtains, and I need to find one more complimentary fabric to make basket liners and such. The picture below was what I used as my design inspiration.

I still need a really cute dresser that I want to paint either cream or pale pink, and I will use that as a changing table, planning a trip to Canton to look for that piece. I also have ordered an overstuffed glider for the room. It is so comfortable, and look forward to sitting and rocking our sweet girl in it, and hoping that someday when she is old enough to appreciate it, that she will love her room as much as I do:)

Anyway, it feels a bit strange to be working on this room. But it was time, and it has proved to help me feel a bit better, and make things seem a bit more real.
I have loved buying things for her room, and since I have always known what I wanted the room to look like, I have been buying things for a really long time.
I will take a few pictures of the room once it is completed. I still need to get pictures and such on the wall, and then I have ordered a very large cocoa colored monogram that will go over the day bed in her room. I think that will add to the room. So that should arrive in a few weeks, and I can't wait to see how that looks on the wall.

Thanks for looking, let me know what you think. Again, I know it is not finished, but at least it is a start!!

A sneak peek into our CA vacation

2008-09-09T19:10:00.000-06:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Back from Vacation

2008-09-08T17:01:00.002-06:00

We are back from our 9 days at the beach! Had a great time, it was hard to come home. But have a lot to share(I think) and will try to get things updated around here soon. Hope everyone is doing great, and getting settled back into the school year.

I have caught up on most of the blogs I follow, if I didn't comment I am sorry, I had a lot to read, and not a lot of time. Fair amount of good things going on, and it was fun to be gone, and come back with so much to read:)

check back, cause I will be back I promise:)

2008-08-12T09:15:00.003-06:00

One way or another I am going to have a house full of black headed little girls.

Here is our latest baby born:

This is baby Finley, and she was born on Aug 4th. We will be going to get Sophie's little sister the end of September. We can't wait. She is a cocker spaniel.

Here is an updated picture of Miss Sophie who does make my heart feel good.

Sorry to have been such a bad blogger, commentor, and friend. Just feeling guarded, isolated, and trying to just cope. I will again be a good friend. I am thinking of you all, and try to catch up on reading periodically. For my friends that really are getting close, I am really thinking of you. I know the wait and the unknown must seem unbearable, but I hope it all just melts when you finally get that picture.

Taylor is coming home tomorrow, and we are happy to be able to have a little more time with her before she returns to school for her last year. She is doing well, and her leg and ankle are improving everyday. Thank you to everyone who sent us well wishes, they were very appreciated.

The Gorge vs. The Rock

2008-07-10T22:30:00.005-06:00

If you don't know, my stepdaughter has been a raft guide on the Arkansas river in Colorado for 3 summers. She has become a very experienced guide, and she is an adrenaline junkie.

On Monday afternoon we got a call from the rafting company saying she had been in a rafting accident.... let me tell you that is a call that takes your heart and your breath away all at the same time, I actually think I felt blind for a minute. She had been on a training trip on the Royal Gorge which is the most difficult part of the river in her area, and she was the lead guide in the raft. They were about 15 minutes from being out, and they hit a run that caused the raft to fly up and everyone in the boat did as well. Unfortunately "T" did not land back in her spot, she went up and came down in the middle of the raft and she said she knew instantly she was hurt, she was just hoping not bad. Her leg and ankle immediately swelled and changed to a dark shade of purple. They made it to a pull out place and got help. She said as soon as they tried to move her she knew it was pretty bad.

They rushed her to the hospital and it was determined that she had shattered her ankle and broke her fibula in two places. She was going to need surgery.

We got the call(freaked a little) it is very overwhelming to get a call that your child is hurt badly and you can't be there for them. We felt because she was in a small area hospital that we needed to concur with a ortho surgeon here that having surgery there was the best decision, or did we need to figure out how to transport her to Colorado Springs to a bigger metro hospital with an ortho surgeon on staff? Luckily we found out that there was a surgeon on staff in a town close by and arranged for him to be able to consult with the hospital she was at, and ultimately was allowed to perform the surgery. Anyway, after we determined the logistics we got in the car for the 12 hour drive. It was a long silent ride to
Colorado. We knew she was going to be okay, but it really stirs your emotions when an accident like this happens. We were so relieved that she was fine, and it had not been worse, but then it also reminds you that it could have turned out very different. We have always encouraged her to live her dreams, to be passionate about what she does, and for her that has usually involved risk and danger to a degree. It would have been very difficult to deal with that had everything not turned out the way it did. It was really good to see her face when we walked in. I am not sure who was happier to see each other...her or us??

She had to have many pins and a plate to put her ankle back together, and she had to have a plate and screws put on the back of her fibula to secure it back into place. She will have a cast put on in about 10 days, and will have that for about 8 weeks, and then they will decide if she can switch to a boot, and start physical therapy. Her last summer of rafting has come to a early halt, but she has chosen to stay up there and hopefully in a couple of weeks will be able to work in the office booking trips or something until returning for her last year of college.

It has been an exhausting week, and really has been an eye opening experience. While we can't worry about our kids and loved ones all the time and try and prevent them from doing the things they love, always remember to make sure to tell them you love them, and how important they are to you.

"T" we are wishing you a speedy recovery, and there is no doubt in my mind who actually won this one....as you seem to think that you have an amazing "Gorge" story to tell. I know you will run the gorge again, but this time lets do it without breaking any bones!! The surgeon said he didn't want to see you again:)

Long way home

2008-06-15T10:15:00.004-06:00

After 10 short months(felt like it at least) our exchange student otherwise known as our youngest child Shiyu left to go back to China. The house feels so strange and quiet. She called me from the hotel in Shanghai this morning saying that she was there and ready to take a shower and go to sleep. Then she said how strange it felt for her to not be in her pj's having breakfast with us, and that it is amazing how EVERYONE in China smokes!! I told her to get some sleep, and to call me later.
OHHHHH, I miss her so much already. One of the best experiences of my adult life.
We know she will be back next year for college, so we are just pretending that our youngest is on a year long China exchange:)

Thanks Shiyu Magee for letting us go on this journey of a lifetime with you....you are an amazing girl, and we love you very much!!

Can't imagine the loss.....

2008-05-23T09:25:00.002-06:00

Many of you have already read about the tragic news of the Chapman family who lost their 5 year old Maria(adopted from China) this week. I can't even begin to imagine how they feel, or how their hearts ever heal from such a tragedy. I just know that when I viewed their video blog it just literally tore my heart to pieces, and just makes you question "WHY?"

If you haven't stopped by their blog to send them a note of condolences or to watch the videos they have so generously shared I invite you to do so here

There are a lot of things I think I could work through......this doesn't happen to be one of them. Please keep this family in your thoughts and your prayers.....they are going to need them:)

Introducing Princess Sophie

2008-05-16T17:18:00.007-06:00

I can't believe it has taken me this long to get this picture and news on here.

March 26, 2008 was one of the best days of my life, I flew to Birmingham, Alabama to pick up our newest family member. I was thrilled beyond belief, I couldn't wait to see her in person after waiting 11 long weeks for her to mature enough to leave her momma. But when I arrived and the breeder took Sophie out of her bag.....I just lost it and started to cry!! She looked exactly like Miss Matty when she was a puppy, and I was instantly in love. She is the sweetest, softest, most snuggly little creature you have ever met. She is the princess, and she knows it without a doubt. She goes almost everywhere with me in the car, and she rides happily in her darling lime green bag I got her(of course it has her monogram on it!!) She is oohed and gooed over everywhere we go. She has healed her momma's heart, as I feel as though Matty has been cloned and come back to live with us. So much of what she does, and how she behaves it exactly as we knew life with a black cocker spaniel for 13 years. You can laugh, you can poo poo me for wanting a dog(child) that looks and acts just like our beloved dog who passed.....but I don't care, I feel better, and with the current state of adoption I needed to feel better, so I highly recommend it....it is cheaper than therapy, and way more addicting than xanax!! David said he will start to worry when I start introducing her as my daughter. She does have black hair;)

So just for grins, I will post Matty's picture here, and tell me it is uncanny how much they look alike. You can't see it in Matty's picture, but she has a white chest too!

Also....Princess Sophie sends a shout out to her Aunt Buttercup who loves her, and wants one of her own(Iris needs a friend and won't mind a bit)She can't wait for you to visit again:)

We ate, We drank, We laughed, and We shopped

2008-04-09T16:25:00.003-06:00

My lack of posting about the big trip to Canton is not for lack of excitement about the trip, it is because it turned into such a BIG trip that a "real" post was necessary.

There are moments in your life that you feel a bit nervous about an event, and then there are others that well, the nerves really are not there at all. This was one of the moments in my life. We have been planning this event for a few months, and until the last minute we were a little unsure of who would be attending the meeting of the minds(or shoppers) But once we were sure the Buttercup was on the plane headed south we knew the weekend would be just as we had hoped it would be.

Buttercup arrived on-time @ the DFW airport, and found her way to a car that we had left for her at the airport....I had a previous engagement that I could not cancel. She then used the mapquest directions to head for home to relax and mostly to let "the baby" out. She made it with flying colors, including her first trip to Chik-filet. I came home to find her with Sophie and wine and flowers on the island. We hugged, and the weekend started. I knew from the moment I met Buttercup on-line that we would be friends. I knew that she would be funny,cute, smart, insightful, and a friend that always makes you want to be a better person. We chatted, and played with Sophie(who loves her aunt Buttercup) Then I told her we had to run a few errands, which she happily agreed to. We picked up Shiyu from school, who has really been looking forward to meeting these girls. We then went home and just chatted, had some wine, and waited for Miss DeRouren to arrive. She did arrive, but her bags did not, and I must say Ame*ican E*gle must have spent a fortune on customer service training and their shi*ty baggage tracking system. We were told the bag was randomly left due to weight, and that it would come in the morning...."A" remained calm, and was such a good sport about it, I would not have been had it been me. Bags or no bags "A" is just as I imagined her to be. She is my secret pal(sends to me) and I can only tell you she has sent me some amazing things in the last year. Anyway, she is darling, fun, a REALLY good mom who adores her boys, she has a great laugh and an amazing smile.....and boy can she shop. We went home and made due without the bags, we talked, and got to know one another a little better, and planned that we would get up and head to the airport, St*rbucks, get ready and make our way East to meet up with Shelba and her friends. Now we would be here until tomorrow if I told you the luggage experience. I will just cut to the chase and tell you that the bag didn't arrive until 3:15 that day, so needless to say we did not make it to Canton until after 6:00 on Friday. Shelba and her friends had made it to the flea market where it was raining, but they risked life and limb and still shopped and had some Texas bar-b-que. I thought Shelba would be taller, but otherwise she was the artistic wonder that I knew she would be, with one of the cutest kids on the planet, and one of the funniest cousins I have ever met(loved you Melissa, and you still don't look a day over 18) Bobbi Jo and Virgina were hilarous, and so glad that I met them. Bobbi Jo good luck on the adoption of your son. Anyway, we made it in time to go to the Chinese buffet....it seemed to be the local Athens(not GA) dining hot spot. Let's just say that I am certain that Zaget does not know about this dining destination. When Jello, and baklava are on the dessert buffet, you know that you should be eating somewhere else. But the company was immeasurable, hilarious, and I learned that John Tr@volta is gay despite what the average person might say. I also learned that Nicole Kidm@n is really not pregnant....surrogate....SHHHHHHH I learned so much more but I would have to kill you if I told, plus I have sold all of the info to PEOPLE.

The day of shopping in Canton proved to be a wonder of treasures, junk, other peoples junk, and some really good stuff. It was filled with a million dogs, strollers, and fried food. I claim that the best funnel cake maker resides at first Monday trade days....not your run of the mill 1 inch creation, oh no, it is the 3 inch yummy wonder that we enjoyed at the end of our 8 hours of shopping.

The trip home was the highlight: yes if you are ever in the situation of wondering do I take 19 North to Canton or 19 South to Palestine to go back to Dallas.....take 19 North.....trust me on this one. After seeing the funeral procession in the middle of no where, the dead carcass on the roadside, and the vulture society meeting in the town square.....know that you went the wrong way, and regardless of how fast you drive; someone is going to miss their flight;(

The trip was really an amazing journey of fun and friendship that I would not trade for the world. I had a blast, I think the other peeps had a great time and felt the trip was worth the effort( a lot of effort at moments) I feel like I have made friends for a lifetime, and I privileged to be in the same company of these women. I can't wait to do it again, and go buck wild, and drink some crazyass hillbilly wine, and eat free in the holiday inn express lobby!!!

Thanks girls it was a BLAST!!! Pictures to come tomorrow, okay ONE picture, because I sucked that weekend with my camera.

I will catch up someday

2008-03-10T17:59:00.002-06:00

Gawd I hate lazy bloggers such as myself

2008-02-23T22:27:00.006-06:00

Where does the time go? Can't believe that we are almost done with February, time just seems to pass faster and faster, but we seem to never get anywhere with all the time flying by. I think we are at 17 months at this point, not sure as I don't really keep track anymore, I figure there will be a day somewhere in the future when we get this random phone call that says I am looking at a picture of your daughter. We will say " oh yeah that's right we're adopting"

So much has happened since I really stopped blogging. I know that so much of what we talk about is in reference to our exchange student Shiyu. She has been such an important addition to our family, and we really can't imagine what a loss to our family it would have been had we decided not to have this experience. Really I can't believe what an amazing girl she is, she is so brave, smart, funny, cute, dedicated, motivated, and just an overall great girl. Some of you will get to meet her, and you will just be struck by her smile, and friendliness. She is going to do extraordinary things with her life. We really understand what a negative experience this could be if you were not matched to the right child, but for us they could not have matched us better. Hopefully we will be matched as well with our daughter. We will really miss her so much when the time comes for her to leave, and we really look forward to visiting her and her family in China, and we really look forward to her coming back to go to college....hopefully in Texas!!

We have had so many first with her, and it makes things that we take so for granted so much more fun and interesting. Her first homecoming parade, her homecoming mum, going to football games, her first choir performance, her first Halloween, and pumpkin carving, lest not we forget her first Thanksgiving, Christmas parties, decorating the tree, going to see the Christmas lights, Christmas, New Years, a trip to visit her cousin in SD, making the JV tennis team, making the math team, going on her first college visit to Rice University, her first American version of spring festival, and welcoming the year of the rat. She has become such an American girl, and if you just saw her walking through the halls of her school you would think she was just an Asian American girl, and while she still loves so much about her country, and misses her family and friends back home in Chongqing, she has melted well into our American life. She dresses like an American teenager, she likes to do what most American teenagers like to do, and she can't wait to go to college just like most American teenagers. If you ask her something she replies with "No, I'm good" she will yell from upstairs....."Mom.....do you know where such and such is"? she sounds sometimes just like an American teenager. Her English has improved so much. She would tend to not agree, but she seldom gets her translator out anymore, she hardly ever ask me anymore what something means. I am really proud of her. If only you could have witnessed her talking to the Rice admission officer.....she was so mature and asked such good questions, and made sure that they understood that she would make a great addition to their school.

It will be strangely quiet around here when she leaves. I will not have anyone here to help me with my Rosetta Stone Chinese, she won't be here to walk Gracie, we will not have anyone to cook yummy Chinese food for us, and no one to teach me all the computer tricks that she knows. I won't know how to turn my flash on and off on my camera, and she is always showing me news things on my phone. What are we going to do without her??

Well there is nothing really left to say that is terribly interesting. I hope you enjoy all of the pictures from the last 6 months that I have been so lazy to not get up. I will post more later in the week. We have some fun spring break plans, a few more college visits, a visit to Taylor, and a trip to San Fran in June. We also have a new puppy coming. But that news will have to wait for different day.

Hope all is well on your end, and I will try and do a better job of keeping up. I started this blog with the intention of it being about adoption, then it went to just the monotony of our lives, and now I am just at a loss of what to talk about that would be of any interest to anyone. We all certainly know that there is nothing on the adoption front that is positive, so we will just let that one go. I guess when the next round of referrals come out that we might finally get to say goodbye to 05' I guess that is actually an act of god, because it sure feels like they have been working on 05' forever!!

Rare dogs, tennis balls, and gas!

2008-01-15T22:00:00.000-06:00

Wish I had something really interesting to share, but the truth of the matter is......nothing. Well I guess I shouldn't say nothing, Shiyu made the JV tennis team this week. She is thrilled beyond belief, and this is an opportunity that she would have never had at home. With her 13 hour school day in China there is no time for the tennis team.

We are finally taming the wild beast in Gracie. We are hoping to get a friend for her very soon. She is a friend kind of dog, and we have been looking, and we have found, but it is a secret so you will have to wait along with everyone else. We also found out that Gracie is a flat coated black labradoodle....apparently really rare. I will agree she is rare, but more in a personality way. By the way rare flat coated black labradoodles shed, and they shed A LOT!!! Now there is something rare.

Taylor made a move to Durango to Fort Lewis College(?pretty sure that is the name) She has switched her major(yes, 2 semesters before she is due to graduate)-whatever- She is now an adventure education major, and word on the street is that she will only have to be there an extra semester(on her own dime that is)She is pretty fired up about this move, and very fired up about her major. Yes, if you are wondering that means she can go work for Outward Bound...which she could have with her English degree. But what do we know we are just parents.

D spends all of his free time surfing the web for a new car. Did you even know it was possible to buy a car on the Internet?? I am not thinking this is a good idea either, but again what do I know I am just a girl(or so I have been told)

For me I am planning some trips for us for the last 6 months that Shiyu is here, working hard on PinkPolkaDotz, and still nursing my bad back.

We found out that we are sitting on some natural gas, and the gas company is going to pay everyone in the hood for the rights....it is not a huge amount, but something is better than them stealing it from us. It might actually pay for what we spend on gas each year now.

Oh and we are about to celebrate our 16th month of being LID, that is nothing to celebrate. We are walking, but we are not moving.

Well that is all I have going on here, actually more than I realized when I started this post.

Hope this finds you happy, and smiling on your end.

Peace out:)

08'? What happend to 07'?

2007-12-31T20:56:00.000-06:00

As I sit here sipping my cranberry margarita with only 3 hours and 3 minutes until we ring in 08' I can't help but wonder where 07' went. I hate to admit that as it would seem that it went by so quickly that waiting another 2-3 years for our turn in China will go by in a flash. But to be honest the year has gone by quickly....actually one of the quickest years I can remember, but there have been some very long moments.

I went back and reviewed my resolutions for 07' and the scary part is that most of those resolutions still need to be worked on, I have made progress on a few. We have seen and done a lot in 07' and had some additions and losses. I would say overall it was an okay year. I am looking forward to 08' and hope there are things that will happen, and some changes we will be able to make.

Here are a few highlights to our 07'

* We bought the BWM and I started my embroidery business, and while it was a slow start, I am overwhelmed with how well my business has done so far.

* We had a few great trips to NYC, San Diego, LA, Colorado and Las Vegas and 7 trips to KC(due to Karen's preganancy with Meggie and being on bedrest)

* We met up with some other adoptive families down in Austin, and had a great time. It amazes me when I think of the friends I have made during this journey. I feel so lucky to have met some, and the hope of meeting others in person. You all inspire me, and make this wait a whole lot more bearable. I look forward to the day I watch each one of you travel to pick up your children.

* We decided to host a Chinese exchange student for the school year. She will arrive in Aug and stay for 10 months. We think this will be a great way to learn about our daughters birth country, culture and heritage.

*While we continue to grieve the loss of our dear cocker Matty, we decide to get on the wait list for a labradoodle puppy. They will be born the end of May, and we will get our puppy the end of July. They end up being born May 29th and we become the proud owner of a black labradoodle that we name Gracie....even though I voted for Ruby. We have had Gracie now for 5 months and she is growing, and growing and growing. She is very smart, loves toys more than any dog I have ever met, and can run incredibly fast.

*We take a rafting trip down the Colorado river in June with Taylor as our guide. It was a ton of fun, and she is amazing at what she does. We were so proud of her!!!

* Our student arrives in August. Her name is Shiyu, and she is 16 almost 17. She has blended well with our family, and kept me very busy. She has transitioned well into American life, and she is doing well in school, and has been a wealth of information for our family in learning about China. What an experience this has been. I highly recommend this to anyone who has considered it. She will forever be a member of our family. We look forward to the fact that she will return to TX to go to college. We also look forward to the day we meet and visit her family in China.

*We welcomed my goddaughter Meggie after a very difficult pregnancy. She came into the world very small, but she has made a BIG impact on our family, and she is growing and thriving, and just your normal 7 month old now.

* I lost one of my sorority sisters in Oct after a brave battle with liver cancer. It had a big impact on me, as it just reminded me how important it is to live life to the fullest and know it is a gift that we are not guaranteed to have long term. LIVE WITH NO REGRET. I also decided that I had to stop living my life always waiting for something.

* I have watched several of my friends travel to pick up their little ones, and it means so much to have the honor and privilege of being a part of something so big and important. I know someday it will be our turn, but in the mean time we will make the most of each day, try to grow and learn as much as we can, and anticipate the day when we see the face of our daughter.

* The CCAA made it all the way through what 3 months this year. I don't know, actually I don't care. I never thought I would make it past obsessing over referrals each month, but I have moved to the place where I actually did not know the last 2 months that referrals even came out. Wow, that should be a resolution in itself. Here's to being a recovering RQ/referral addict.

I do hope that each of you have had a wonderful holiday season. I hope the New Year finds you safe and looking forward to what the year will bring for you and your family. From my family to yours..........Happy New Year!!!! Now make sure you eat your black eyed peas tomorrow for good luck.

Naughty or Nice?

2007-12-19T09:50:00.000-06:00

NICE:
* all of my friends in Chicago that understood why I had to cancel my trip. I promise I will come.

* all of my girlfriends here who are just the BEST!!

* my husband for always being willing to lend a hand, and listens to me whine, and for taking vacation time to be home with us the last half of Dec.

* all of my blog and adoption friends who always check in on me.

* my MIL for hosting Gracie at her house since Thanksgiving.... to let her 4 dogs socialize the little beast

* the lady who let me in front of her at Hobby Lobby yesterday b/c I had only one thing:)

* to the dr. office who got me in the same day I called......you ROCK my world.

* Shiyu, for being excited for Christmas and understanding why we didn't get the lights up outside, and being okay with it when I told her we would put lights up outside for Spring Festival(Chinese New Year)

* To all of my customers.....the response has been overwhelming, thank you for doing business with me:)

Naughty:

CCAA..................shame on you, you should be ashamed of yourself.

Out of Review

2007-12-02T16:32:00.000-06:00

Out of review!!! Thought it would feel better than this.
I guess it is one step closer.

Off to Chicago on Friday! Going with some friends and meeting up with some friends. Should be fun, and looking forward to some quality girl time, shopping time, eating and drinking time. I hope the weather is better than it is this weekend.

I am very busy with PinkPolkaDotz.....don't forget if you need a gift.....I am your girl. If you are looking for something for your secret pal, just enter secret pal into the coupon code for your discount.

Wish I had something more to talk about, but not much going on here at Casa Rock.

Hope things are good on your end.

Bring on the Gobbler

2007-11-21T07:31:00.000-06:00

Turkey-Check
Loaf of very fresh white bread-Check
Miracle whip-Check
Warm and comfy jammies-Check
Macy's Thanksgiving day parade-Check

That's what I will be eating, that is what I will be wearing, and that is what I will be watching.

It has been a grueling week thus far, and I am actually ready for next week to be here. But it is nice to know that we can take a few days off, sit back relax, sleep, eat, and be merry, and no one cares.

Happy Thankgiving, and I will see you on the other side of this one!!

Still here

2007-11-16T14:34:00.000-06:00

I am still here, still under the weather, and still have a million photos to post. Lot's going on around here, lot's of change, and lot's of upcoming visitors and hoopla with the holidays. Gotta make this a GREAT holiday season for Shiyu, she is very excited about celebrating Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Years, and mostly she is excited about the kids coming home from college.
She is counting it down....so cute. I told her she will be counting the days until they leave after they have been here for a few days and invaded her space....all of her space with all of their crap!!

I will get around to the photos soon, this I promise. I figure you all are not going anywhere any time soon....I sure know that I am not.

Hope everyone has a Happy Gobble Day, and know that I don't really enjoy the Thanksgiving feast, but Shiyu is really looking forward to it....especially the pie part that D has told her about. I will be watching the Macy's parade, and then I will be waiting for the day after turkey sandwich on VERY fresh white bread with miracle whip....now that part I do like. D will have us out at 6:00 a.m. shopping for all of his Christmas bargains.....last year those bargains did not include one present for anyone but us.

I just have one question.....will this ever end??

**the nausea is back.....no I am not!!!

Song, Crap, and very important question.

2007-11-04T09:47:00.000-06:00

* I heard this on this lovely person's blog and was immediately smitten with this song. It conjures up so many thoughts and feelings...............all in one little song. It took me a bit to figure out the autoplay, and still not positive what I did, but it seems to work now on it's own. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have(since I have now played it like 400 times....I swear I am still in 6th grade)

*I have so many pictures I need to put on here to update what has been going on the last few months with Shiyu. She has had a lot of first since she arrived, and we have documented them all, but I suck at getting everything done now.
But stay tuned, because they are coming, and hopefully you will enjoy the accompaniment of Vince Gill and Sarah Evans.

I have been VERY under the weather. As long as I stay horizontal I am okay(sorta) but the second I stand up it all becomes a very different story. It's the can't keep anything down diet, and I must say that my jeans will fit very nicely at the end of all of this......but there is nothing worse as far as I am concerned than feeling like you are going to blow. I have felt this way since Thursday afternoon, and I have moments(okay a few hours) in there that I feel sorta okay, and then the wave comes at me like a speeding train. Yesterday I slept from 4:00 p.m. until 7:30 this morning. I think there is something wrong. But unlike my husband who is insisting that I go to the doctor(no, can't even think about getting dressed and getting myself into the car) all she is going to say is that is that it is viral and make sure I try and keep as many liquids down as I can and here is some nausea medicine(which I already have) So unless this is not better by Wednesday I am in my fuzzy robe and staying in a horizontal position, and dreaming that this is an excellent weight loss program as well as allowing me to wallow in pity with the new rounds of referrals.
Happy Sunday:)

**as a sidenote I was not able to attend Martha's services, but my friends were there, and I must say that now I am kind of glad that I was unable to go. I understand the concept of an open casket, but my personal beliefs are that you should remember the person as you knew them, and it is seldom that someone who has died looks like they did when you enjoyed their company.....especially when someone has been very ill. So it sounds like you would not have even known it was her had you not known who's funeral you were at. I want to remember her for the beautiful young girl I lived with in college, and for that visual to always remain, and not have it replaced by a visual of a different person. I know this is terribly immature, but I just think as a child I would want to remember my mother the way she always looked...especially in good health, and I just don't know if you could ever replace the site of her in her casket not looking like my mom.
I made D promise that if I die before him that he swears that the casket will be closed.

I am going to have to do some research into the history of open casket funerals.....I am sure there is some reason for this practice. Cremation is sounding better and better.

With Fondest Memories.............

2007-10-31T16:04:00.000-06:00

For the last few weeks I have felt very overwhelmed by the knowledge of knowing that one of my pledge sisters and college roommates was battling liver cancer. She was diagnosed almost exactly 2 years ago, and has been fighting for her life ever since.

I have been very fortunate to have not faced a lot of death in my life, and the death I have experienced has usually been with people that I cared deeply for, but they had lived very long lives. It just seems so wrong to me that a mom of a third and fifth grader who just turned 40 in April was fighting the fight of her life. For whatever reason it has just struck a very strong cord with me. I have spent a great deal of time these last few weeks thinking about what that must feel like, how do you spend time with your children each day knowing it could be your last, what do you say????? All of these questions that I have run through my brain a million times this month. Then I moved on to have I lived a life that I am very proud of? What would people say at my funeral? Do I make the things that are really important.......be important, and appreciate those important things and people?? What changes should I be making with these thoughts and feelings running loose? So many questions, and not as many answers as I would like.
It also puts time into perspective. The thought of waiting 2 more years for this baby is way too much for my brain to cope with, but what if you were told you only had 2 years to live?? Boy, that wouldn't seem quite as long now would it??

I met Martha in HS as we are from the same hometown. We only knew of one another then, but then freshman year we both pledged the same sorority and became pledge sisters. We then became very good friends, and Martha was one of those girls that everyone likes. She had a radiant smile, very friendly, smart, patient, happy, and she was one of the best dressed girls I have ever known. We lived together sophomore year with two other KD's; Missy and Kristy. That was a great room change for me, and I loved living with those girls. I transferred the next year to another college, but I remained active in the house, and enjoyed remaining friends with those girls. I always knew what Martha was up to through many of our friends.

Martha married a great guy and had two great boys...Alex and Clayton. She ran a successful business, and loved being a mom. Martha grew up without her mom, and I know that was always difficult for her. So it breaks my heart that she must have felt so much pain knowing that her kids would be growing up without her.

I really feel so much sadness with her passing, and my thoughts and prayers are with her family. This weekend a huge group of our pledge sisters will be getting together to attend her memorial. I am unable to attend, but I will be there in spirit, and I know that Martha is smiling knowing that all those girls will be together, laughing, spending time with each other and celebrating great friendship and memories.

Martha you will always be loved and remembered for being such a great friend and sister.
Love in AOT
JDR

Please keep this family in your thoughts!!

Mary Martha (Frech) Berry
Mary Martha (Frech) Berry, Bradenton, formerly of Columbia, Missouri died October 28, 2007. Visitation will be Wednesday, October 31, 2007 from 6p.m. to 8p.m. at Palms-Robarts Funeral Home, with a prayer service at 7p.m. Also, visitation will be Friday, November 2, 2007 from 4p.m. to 8p.m. at Krieghauser Funeral Home, 9450 Olive Blvd., St. Louis, Missouri with a funeral Mass on Saturday, November 3, 2007 at 10a.m. at St. Monica Church, 1236 Olive Blvd., St. Louis. Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri. Survivors include her husband, Mark Berry; her two children, Clayton and Alex; her father, David and stepmother Linda Frech; her brother John Frech and her sister, Katherine Frech. Mrs. Berry graduated from the University of Missouri, Columbia in 1989 and was a member of Kappa Delta Sorority. After graduation she taught at Ellisville Elementary and earned her Masters of Education at Maryville University. Mrs. Berry and her husband Mark Berry moved to Bradenton, Florida in 2001 and she started her own Web design and advertising business. She was current President of the Lakewood Ranch Business Club of Bradenton, Florida. In Lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to TideWell Hospice and Palliative Care, 4151 37th Stree East, Palmetto, FL 34221.,

Gracie, Gracie, Gracie

2007-10-28T15:32:00.000-06:00

I am sure you all have been wondering what Gracie has been up to??? No, you say. Well let me just update you anyway.
Gracie is 5 months old tomorrow, and she has the energy of 5 dogs. She is growing very quickly, and in case you forgot let me remind you that I thought that we were getting a dog that weighed around 50 lbs, and at 4 months Gracie already weighed 33 lbs. I would guess she weighs about 40 lbs right now. The vet thinks she will at least weigh 70-90 lbs-Shiyu only weighs 90.

** Gracie is very, very smart, actually she may be the smartest person in the house. Trust me having a dog that is as smart as Gracie makes it very hard to train her.

** We have hired BarkBusters to come and help us train Gracie. We have our 3 rd visit tomorrow. Gracie is still training us. But we are slowly making progress in becoming the pack leader.

** Gracie is no Matty, and I still have moments when Gracie makes me miss Matty more than I ever thought possible.

** Gracie can run faster than any dog I have ever seen, and she will retrieve a ball or toy all day long if you are willing to throw it for her. In turn D is convinced that she can become a fly ball champion. If that works off some of her energy, I am voting yes on this proposition.

**Gracie loves to dig, and sometimes par take in her poop, so she can not be left outside unsupervised by a responsible adult. We are working on these things. Although if she can dig a hole to China I might not care so much about the digging. The latter must stop and we have the medicine to help curtail it. The vet seems to think this is very common, and that I should not be too concerned. Concerned?? Grossed out is more like it.

** Gracie will ride in the car now, she will even jump in and jump out......you have no idea what progress this actually is.

** Gracie is basically housetrained. She never seems to have an accident in her living quarters(the gated kitchen) but we can't have her upstairs for much longer than 20 min or so and she is rooting around looking for a nice piece of carpet to potty on. I am not sure she will ever get to live outside of the kitchen. She does still do the submissive wetting thing with strangers or if she is punished. That sucks!!

** For the most part it is great to have a dog in the house again. I try to not compare Gracie to Matty. But it is hard when she chews up the baseboard, or tears up something(Matty never tore a thing up in her life) Matty was easy to housetrain, and never puddled. But Matty also never retrieved anything in her life, and she also had zero interest in toys. Gracie loves toys more than any dog I have ever met. I have to buy them in bulk. So it is very fun to play with her, she is not much on snuggling, but she sure can get to the ball quickly!!

Now that is a beautiful baby!!

2007-10-18T12:03:00.000-06:00

Little Miss Meggie had her first big photoshoot and I think it went exceptionally well. Who would ever know that this baby was born 10 weeks early and spent 5 weeks in the NICU? She even made it to a blog. Here is the link:http://photographybybrandi.typepad.com/blog/

Meggie's Baptism, Katie's Birthday, Trip to KC

2007-10-16T16:41:00.001-06:00

I know you have been waiting with baited breath

2007-10-04T08:59:00.000-06:00

Sorry it has taken so long to get the answers to your questions. Shiyu has been very busy with school, and getting ready for her first homecoming. She answered all the questions(I think) and these are totally unedited. So we will do this again in a few months. If you ever have questions about China or Chongqing don't hesitate to email me and I know Shiyu will be happy to answer any questions you have.
We volunteered at our FCC culture day last weekend. Shiyu worked at the festival booth. I think she had a wonderful time, and enjoyed participating. I think she was totally blown away with seeing all of the children that day. She told me that it was great to see all of the children being taught about Chinese culture and history.
She searched out all of the kids that had come from Chongqing:)
I had her watch Lost Girls of China the night before culture day, because I wanted her to see the process that each of the families she was going to see the next day had gone through to get their children. I am not sure what she thought overall. I know she felt embarrassed, and she did not like the part where the lady put the sign up in the park. She said she too felt disgraced that she did that, and she felt that she should not have pointed it out to everyone that they had abandoned a child. All I can say is.......very interesting. I know she is very positive about our adoption, she can't wait for us to come to China, and she hopes that our baby comes from Chongqing. But in general it seems to me that very little talking goes on in China about this particular issue. I am not sure she knew or her family knew that Americans were coming to China to adopt their children before she met us.

Alrighty, enjoy, and again sorry it took so long.

What advice did your parents give you about America or Americans?

1.Be happy and we all believe you can do everything!***she told me that the Chinese think that all Americans are overweight. I am happy to report that she told me that she sees that is not true:)

Singing bird wanted to know if we would adopt more children. While I would love to do so, it won't be possible with the length of time this one is taking. We are basically aged out of being able to adopt from anywhere. I would just like this one to come to fruition.

What is your favorite kind of music?

2.I love pop music. Most time I listen to Chinese pop music at home. But I’ll try more different American songs here.

The differences between schools here and in China?
3. I think school is so different from China. At first most school in China is 6 years primary school, 3 years middle school, and 3 years high school. Most kids will go to college. But it doesn’t mean everyone can receive good education. Secondly, we can’t choose the subjects we like. All the students study Chinese, Math, and English. (English class at school mostly starts in middle school, but English is really popular in China and many parents think it very important. Many children study English when they are very young.) We also have Physics, Biology, Chemistry, History, Politics, Geography, and PE. Different grades have another classes such as Computer, Art, Music, and Health. My school in China focuses on Math and Science. But different cities and schools have different systems. The next is we don’t move to different classrooms, only teachers move. And some big schools have a lot of students. So the class is also huge. Like my school in China, we have total more than 6000 students (my school has middle and high school and 4 campus). I think schools here are much better. You can study what you are interested in. And you can choose easy or difficult classes, so you won’t feel easy in some classes or not be lost in class. Physics and math are easy for me, as long as I know the words. The biggest problem for me is vocabulary. Schools here have more teams, bands, choirs and another organizations. School life here is much colorful than in China. It’s pretty good.
The situation is very similar. We also have very rich people, middle class and poor people.
People in China are more conservative than here. So the interacting with the opposite gender hardly happens among middle or high school students. By the way, many Chinese parents and teachers won’t allow students to have boy/girl friend at school (before 18). Cliches are not as common in China because we don't have many groups to belong to, and we don't change classrooms, so our class of 50 or so students stay together all day. So we don't have athletes and cheerleaders, and most of the kids in my class are smart so we are all the same.

(Angela disappointing and miss the most about China):
The disappointing thing is nothing so far
I miss my best friends very much, as well as my family.

(wzgirl: DO you like Turnip cake?……. Favorite color? how do you like the weather?Has your exchange-mother convinced you to become a flight attendant?)
Don't know what turnip cake is.
The Dim sum is much different here than back home. It’s more delicious and sweet here. At home, we don’t usually have desert and only few snacks. My favorite color is Green. The weather here is perfect because I love sunny days. But it’s hot outside. The weather is similar to Chongqing’s weather. Nope, …..I’m too short to be a flight attendant. Haha. It’s a cool job that can fly all over the world!

(bbmomof2 boys: Best experience so far)
Always the movies wait for me! (there are so many movies to choose from. In China she says they wait for the movies, and here they movies are so plentiful they wait for her)
Football~ After I watched the first game, I fell in love with it. Em…..I hope I can play it. It’s true! Haha

(Beeb: where ….for holiday?)
My favorite is traveling. So every labor days, national days(both 7-days off) my dad and his friends will drive to travel. My dad said” Of course I want to travel to big, beautiful, and modern city to have a comfortable vacation. But for you, it’s the valuable time to travel to some place natural and beautiful. Although it’s not relaxing sometimes even hard. After you grow up, you won’t have chance to go to these places and I won’t have enough energy to drive for long time. After you grow up, you can go to any big city you want.” And in winter holiday (during Spring Festival) we enjoy our traditional new year and spend a lot of time with family. We usually go on a family vacation even take my dog. During summer holiday, I’ll travel with friends or my aunt and uncle take me to travel. We always go to another province.

(liene: think of American malls…….)
We also have as big shopping malls as American. I think clothes here are cheaper and more cute than in China. By the way, it’s hard to buy dress shoes! Haha. Not as crowded as in China.
Yes, I love football. “ Just do it.” probably can express my feeling!

(headmeister)
My favorite food is Mexican food and milkshake.
The school surprised me most. I and a lot of people have thought the students here would be allowed to do anything they want and not really respect teacher. But we are wrong. Class is quieter when teacher is talking. The groups are amazing. I am shocked by my choir and our band, team and other organizations. We could never make such a huge united group in my school at home.

I think most Chinese people think you’re so kind and full of love with homeless children. Some can’t understand it even some think it’s China’s disgrace because we can’t make our own babies have a nice life and the government is not good enough what we expect.

Moon Festival-By the light of the silvery moon

2007-09-25T20:10:00.001-06:00

By the light of the silvery moon.

Wow, we had an awesome dinner of hot pot and dumplings, and then sat outside and gazed at the moon looking for the girl with her rabbit(Chinese Folklore) and ate mooncakes. SHHHHHH dont tell anyone, but I actually like mooncakes. We had pinapple, lotus seed and red bean. I liked them all. But not as much as I enjoyed my dinner. WE love when Shiyu cooks for us. I do all of the chopping, and she does all of the cooking. No need to guess what I am eating for lunch tomorrow. I am a lucky girl, and I am getting very good at my using my chopsticks!!

**she has enough hot pot spice to almost get us through her 10 months here-thank god!!

**stay tuned to her answers to 20 questions. She has had a lot of homework, so she is about half way through her answers. We will try and have them by tomorrow or Thur.

Let's play 20 questions!

2007-09-17T12:10:00.000-06:00

I think most of you know at this point that we have a Chinese exchange student living with us this school year. She is from Chongqing, she will be 17 on Saturday, and she is from a upper middle class family. She is so anxious to teach us anything and everything she can about China, the history, the language, the food, culture and heritage. She is very proud of her country. Anyway, she and I have decided that she will contribute to the blog when she has time, and we would like to start by allowing ya'll to ask her some questions. Please be polite, and respectful, but feel free to ask what you like. I will leave this up for a few days, we will reconcile the questions and try to get them answered later in the week.

You can ask questions of me too. But Shiyu is far more interesting than I will ever be:)

The Secret Pal strikes again

2007-09-13T16:42:00.000-06:00

To J's secret pal,
Thank you!! I love the gift very much! It will be a part of Shiyu's beautiful memories.

Shiyu

When mom gave me the gift, I couldn't believe this is for me! I was surprised but very happy. Then I read the nice letter that you sent out loud to my host family, and of course, the cute dog. They were also very happy. I told all my friends at school about the gift. How wonderful it is! I love to share my happiness with others.
Thanks!

***Thanks Secret pal!! You made her day, I can't tell you how big the smile was on her face when I gave her the box, and she opened it. The box for her U.S. memories will get filled rather quickly I think, and she loves the beautiful file with the matching cards to send home.......you never cease to amaze me. You are incredibly generous and thoughtful***

How do you say RIDICULOUS?

2007-09-03T10:12:00.000-06:00

4 days........REALLY?

just when you think it can't get any worse, it does.

if you ever wonder why I don't change my CCAA poster on my sidebar.....I don't know how is the first reason, and why bother? It is like a soap opera, you can just check in about every 6 months and not much has happened, and you can be updated quickly... so I figure it isn't worth learning how to make the change.

Thanks to this lovely friend I have an updated CCAA sidebar. It feels wonderful to see it updated because we are actually getting VERY close to being reveiwed. Wow, actually making some progress, it has been awhile since I said something felt wonderful regarding this adoption.
Thanks Headmeister for making that change for me.

America the beautiful!

2007-08-30T08:49:00.000-06:00

Shiyu on the first day of school in her new Abercrombie clothes.
Doesn't she look so cute? Well all I can say is the last two weeks have been a BIG learning experience.

1. Registration took 4 days!! If you decide to host a student I advise you to take their immunization records to a doctor or the school nurse the second you receive the file(should have done this in May when that file arrived) She had to get a tetnus booster, and almost had to get a Polio/Measles....but we applied for a letter of conscious through the state to avoid this. But it could have all been avoided had we had someone look over the records when they arrived. It is also advisable to make them send you a very detailed transcript....something more than just Math, English, Geography. Needs more detail, maybe even some assessment test scores. Makes registration a whole lot easier.
2. It is hard to participate in a US History class regardless of your intelligence when you have not one speck of that history in your brain.
3. Kids are very, very resilant, and very strong.
4. Parenting is a very different job in China. Shiyu is shocked at how involved parents are in their kids lives, and in their school. I have had to sign every single sylabus that has been handed out....she has no understanding of this process.
5. Shiyu thinks that everyone in America must be rich, that we never have to wait in line for anything, that everyone is incredibly friendly and wants to be so helpful(except for her Math teacher-Bi$ch) Trust me I have tried to make sure she understands that none of this is accurate, and it only appears that way, and that she will get to see that this is not accurate.
6. We drive everywhere
7. That there is a store for everything
8. It is easy to learn to barracade yourself away from the dog so you can enjoy your breakfast in peace
9. That not all kids are created equal. Teenagers can be level headed, responsible, and can take on more than you would ever expect. So far this has been very different than having Taylor and Connor in our house. I don't know if this is a difference in parenting, or if it is a cultural difference, our it is just a personality difference. I would guess it is a combination of all of them. So far....she is the perfect child.
10. That we have a lot to learn about China
11. That the people in China think that George Bush looks like a monkey, and that they also think that most of the US thinks that he is a good president, and that we all want to be at war. We have had some very lengthy discussions about this, and she now understands that most of the US does not want to be at war, and that overwhelmingly our population is ready for a new president.

The list could go on and on. But this is just a few that come to mind. We are very lucky to have this opportunity. Let me just tell you how quickly someone becomes a member of your family, and quickly you become protective of that new family member.

MIA

2007-08-26T10:30:00.000-06:00

You must be thinking what a slacker I am....Not, I just have not stopped moving since last Sunday. This past week is a total blur, I have not had a moment to spare or to write a post.
All I have to say is if you are frustrated with the current wait times in China.....accept an exchange student to live with you for 10 months, and you won't have a moment to think about the wait times. I have been moving and doing constantly for exactly one week now. Don't get me wrong here, Shiyu(pronounced shhh- u- wee) is a wonderful addition to our family, we are thrilled to have her here, we are enjoying all the things we are learning from her.....but it has eaten this last week away like bagworms eats a tree..... it just disappears into think air.

So school starts tomorrow, she is working hard to get at least one of the summer reading books finished(Death of a Salesman) she will have a timed writing on it on Wednesday in English. So I am much more worried about it than she is. She is mostly just really excited to get the show on the road, and wear the new duds I bought her yesterday. I think she considered wearing the new jeans to bed!!

So I will write a real post in the coming days. Be prepared that our blog has gone from a blog about adoption, to a big white machine, to our many travels, to a new dog, and now it will be mostly about this amazing, brave 16 year old from China. Maybe someday it will make a full circle and be about a family adopting from China again:)

Hope your weekend was good, ours was full, fun, short!

She made it safe and sound!

2007-08-19T15:48:00.001-06:00

The girls made here a little late, but safe and sound, and no worse for the wear. We are so lucky, she is just great, and is so polite, and anxious to dig her heels in and make this a great experience. She is so little......and by the way she speaks Chinese. We are communicating just fine, but after a summer of emails, you forget that someone does not speak the same language. Anyway, she brought us some Chinese tea, a beautiful tea pot, and she made us a scrapbook of her family, friends, her home, dog, and some of the trips she has taken. So sweet, and her mom wrote us(in Chinese) a lovely letter about taking care of Shiyu, and that she knew she was in good hands. We hope someday that we will get to meet them.
Anyway, gotta go get her up from her 1 hour nap that I allowed(gotta get her adjusted to the time before school starts) and we are headed over to our friends house that is hosting too for swimming, and pizza.
Thanks for everyone's nice comments, and you were right....it was fine the second I hugged her:)

She's leaving on a jet plane

2007-08-17T18:56:00.001-06:00

Well our student will be headed for the airport in Chongqing in about 6 hours to make her long journey to Texas. I think her flight leaves at 2:55 p.m. and arrives here at 9:20 tomorrow night.

She emailed me to tell me her best friend had come over to stay the night and to celebrate her upcoming year, and her departure. How they had had so much fun, and how happy she was for her to have this experience.

She is 16 almost 17, and I am so impressed by the fact that she is so excited about this journey, this opportunity, and this life changing experience. I am not sure at that age I would have been mature enough, or brave enough to leave my parents, and fly 8000 miles to live with strangers for 10 months. What must she be thinking?? How must she be feeling? I worry that maybe her parents have encouraged this opportunity and her real desire is to stay at her own school with her friends, living with her parents just as all kids should do. Or is she thinking this is the opportunity of a lifetime, and will change her life forever....hopefully for the better! I can't imagine what must be running through her mind. Is she worried that she won't like us, or that we won't like her...I worry that she won't like us, or think that we are too strict, or wayyyyy too boring. I want her to feel comfortable in our house, and in her room, and with us, and at her new school, and with her new friends.....I worry about these things, and I am 40 years old with a lot of life experiences behind me. Does she not worry as much because she is too naive to worry?

We are just about 25 hours from her arrival, and I can't wait to see her, hug her, and introduce her to our life. I am not sure who's life will be changed more....

How did I get so lucky??

2007-08-13T15:16:00.000-06:00

The secret pal strikes again. Man she rocks, and I am so lucky. She sends me stuff all the time. She has this amazing knack for knowing exactly what I like, and what I need. This months theme was something personal. There is some really cute stuff for the "princess" that beautiful blanket, and the Oink Piglet book. But most of the box was for the "Queen of the house" which included my favorite english breakfast tea(no I didn't care that it was Archer Farms) a cute new mug to enjoy my tea in, some calming bubble bath, a great new CD-which happens to have one of her favorite songs. It is Corinne Baily Rae, and the song which is #3 is "put your records on" so I can't wait to listen to it. I can tell you what I will be doing tonight. Thank you Secret Pal, and thanks for the book last month. She sent me "Your not my Real Mommy"
I can't wait for us to meet, and that desire grows stronger every single month, because it is like you know me so well, and we are already friends.
**she always wraps my gifts in the cutest paper, and even the box she sends it in looks cute. My mail lady always tells me that when she sees my box in her truck....she always thinks how lucky I am, and she always wonders what's inside(all because the box is always so cute)

Surprise!!

2007-08-13T15:03:00.000-06:00

This past Saturday was Miss Meggie's sip and see in Kansas City. I really wanted to go, and I really wanted to surprise "K" with my coming, but the fares were a bit high, and I have spent a lot on airfare this year going to KC. So I decided that it just was not going to happen. Well then my good friend "M" offered up a buddy pass on AA to go and surprise everyone at the party. Not only did she offer this pass to me, she insisted that I go, and she was just as excited about surprising "K" as I was. She checked the flights, she took care of getting me listed on the flight, she checked on me throughout the day. I can't thank her enough for allowing me the opportunity.
I must tell you it is very hard to surprise "K" and I was not for sure that she didn't have a clue of my impending arrival. She kept telling how bummed she was that I wasn't coming, and that she knew that I couldn't come, but that everyone would be asking where I was. So I boarded my flight early Sat morning, flew to KC(first class mind you) jumped in my rental car, stopped at Starbucks to pick up some iced lattes, and then knocked on her front door by 10:00 Sat morning. When she and the kids answered the door in their jammies, and the yelled OMG looks who is here....I knew that I had pulled it off. It was so fun, and I think everyone had a great time, and I am so glad that I got to go. Miss Meggie now weighs 7.5 lbs, and as you can see she is as cute as she can be. Her hair is still red, and she has a temper and a set of lungs to go with the red hair.
This is my friend Jamie....she has 3 adopted children, and would have loved to show you a picture of "K" and me, but there wasn't one that showed you how cute Miss Meggie looks. She was an angel at her party, and she received so many nice gifts.

Yeah, She is coming!

2007-08-09T15:05:00.000-06:00

*****This has been edited for you all to see it for yourself that Gracie does ring the bell*****
This is how we housetrained Matty too, it works beautifully!! I was only asking her if she wanted to go outside, and then Mr D was able to snap the picture.

I just found out this morning that our student(Shiyu, aka Amy) from Chongqing was approved for her visa, and she is for sure coming to spend 10 months with us this school year. We don't have her travel information yet, but we are expecting her around the 18th.

I have a lot to do between now and then. The list is really, really big.

We are very excited about this opportunity, and we think this is going to be great for all of us. The experience became even better when we learned that our good friends that live just 15 minutes away and have 2 adopted girls from China are now hosting a student from the same province. I think this will be a great support for both girls, and will be so easy for us to be able to do things together with the girls.

So we will keep you up to date on her arrival, as I am sure I will have lots of great stories to share about this experience.

*Gracie is doing great, still no accidents. She has learned to ring the bell that we have on the back door to let us know she would like to go out, she has learned "get in your house"(her crate) and she has learned "sit" So we are off to a good start. Her hair is growing about as fast as she is. She weighed 13 lbs when we went to the vet, and I am guessing that she will be up several pounds by the time we go back next week. We'll see. She doesn't look quite as awkward as had been when we first brought her home.

*Thanks for listening to the whining yesterday, I really didn't mean for it to sound like whining....no really. I just had nothing really to talk about, and it just wasn't the best day. I am chalking it up to the AC breaking again, and having to go through yesterday fighting with the HVAC people, and sweating my ass off. So sorry if it came across as a pity party. No pity going on here.

Absolutely Nothing

2007-08-07T06:32:00.000-06:00

I have nothing people. It is hot, there is nothing on TV, I am trying to train a puppy, I can't wait for my college age step son to go back to college, we are in limbo with our exchange student(she has another visa interview on Thur) we just went 3 weeks without a/c downstairs(that was the soonest they could come replace it) and in the end I am just pissed off. There are days when this wait feels like it is flying by, and then there are days when it just seems too much to bear. Today is one of those days, and the reality of 2 mores years has me wanting to climb back in bed-but I can't the dog just chewed through my usb cord that runs from my computer to my big white machine....it doesn't really work without it, so I guess I am going to Fry's this morning to get a new cord. Sucks to be me

Here she is in all of her Glory

2007-07-30T08:24:00.000-06:00

Miss Gracie May
Here is what you have been waiting for! We think she is going through an awkward stage right now. We have a bit of puppy envy going on with my MIL's puppy(see below) being here, and well.... her little girl looks like one of the cutest puppies I have ever seen. they don't even look like the same breed, much less from the same litter.
We are certain that our little miss will grow into her cuteness. She is very friendly, and VERY CURIOUS, and seems very calm for a puppy. She has had a very good first day. No accidents at all!! However she REFUSES to walk on leash. That is going to have to change.
We are happy dog owners again!! Enjoy the scoop of sweet.

This one has been named......peekaboo. I didn't have any part in the naming of that cute baby.

The birthday celebration just keeps going

2007-07-28T19:57:00.000-06:00

The Place: Cafe Pacific(very she'she', and very good)
Who: Some of my dearest friends
When: Today
Why: To Celebrate my "oldness"
The Result: SIMPLY AMAZING

Here I am modeling one of my favorite presents!! In the last few months I have been complaining that my eyesight is not what it use to be, and that I need to go to the eye doctor to see if I need glasses...yes I do need some specs, I can't see to read for godsakes, and I really don't need anyone but me to tell me that tidbit. But my friend "K"(dark hair next to me) was so kind to tell me not to waste money on expensive prescription glasses, but to just go to Target and buy 20 pairs of the $1 glasses and stash them everywhere. Well let me tell you that the pair she searched all over town for in her mission of funniness, was not the $1 aisle at Target, these pink rhinestone beauties are from Neiman's....what a gift and what a friend(by the way she is older than me, and has more experience in needing the glasses than I have.....maybe just 3 months more experience -LOL) Anyway, how cute are these? Love them, and they came in a REALLY neat case. It was accompanied by a candle that smells like white cake....could I ask for anything else?

The only semi downside to the lunch at the fancy schmancy place was the waiter "Ed" great waiter, very patient with a group of six gaggling women who couldn't make up their minds. He was very entertaining until he decided to share with us how his girlfriend is in from England for a month, and he has not had 8 continuous hours of sleep since she arrived....Ed, dude, TMI, now go get the birthday girl her dessert. eeeeeewwww yuck!

He did do a beautiful rendition of Happy Birthday though.

Thanks Ed, you made the lunch very entertaining.I just want to tell you all that I am so lucky to have the circle of friends that I do. Some of these girls I have known for 20 years, and some for just a smiggen of that. But regardless of the time I have known them, I am so blessed to call them friend, and know that they would all be there in a time of celebration, or a time of need. Don't know what I would do without my girlfriends.
I had such a wonderful day my friends, thank you for welcoming me into the 40's club. But be reminded to half of that table who will be 40 next year.....paybacks are a b!*tch, and I will be there to welcome you to the club with open arms:)

Thank you,
The 40 year old soon to be mother(okay, to a 16 year old from China, but hey no need to split hairs here)

2007-07-27T09:29:00.000-06:00

Well the week has come to a close, and I am feeling the pressure of the summer being almost over, and school starting one month from Monday. We are still waiting to hear when our exchange student will arrive. We did just find out that our good friends are hosting another teenager from Chongqing.....so that is really awesome news.
But I feel like I have so much to do to get ready for her arrival.

I have an extremely busy weekend ahead. Tomorrow all of my lovey girlfriends are planning a (belated) 40th birthday lunch for me at an undisclosed location. Just hoping that there is white cake involved.

Sunday is Connor's 20th birthday(hello, how did that little 4 year old become 20?)

We are also going to pick up our new puppy in Oklahoma. Promise there will be pictures to follow that trip. We are picking up my MIL's puppy too, as she decided that the 5 dogs(yes I said 5) that she already has are not enough, and that she needed one more so she bought Gracie's sister. So we will actually be coming home with two little scoops of sweet.
I have bought the clicker, the puppy mats, the BIG bottle of Natures Miracle, a new bed with her name embroidered on it, her new collar(with her name embroidered on it too) a new pink leash, I have read Puppies for Dummies once and now I am re-reading it and taking notes this time. I still need to spray down the crate, and put it together.....and then I would say we are as ready as we are ever going to be for our newest family member.

Mr D is so excited he can barely stand it!!

Puppy Breath here we come.

I have been very busy with my business lately. Working on lots of orders, ordering lots of merchandise, and working hard on my website. So keep checking it out, and see all the new items coming in almost weekly now. If you are needing a secret pal gift, go check it out as I have a program to help you out with your gift, keeping it a secret, and saving you a little $$$$$.

By the way congrats to all of the June families who just came out of review.

Man the review room has put it into high gear. We are just around the corner from having our dossier reviewed. That is at least be a baby step in the right direction, and we will feel a bit of relief when we have moved out of review, and go back to waiting some more.

Now maybe the matching room should take note, and put it into gear as well!!

Well hope you all have something fun planned this weekend.

I will see you on the flip side of non-dog owner to New puppy owner.

Now go on and check out my store, I have some really cute things , and even more REALLY cute things coming next week.

Peace Out:)

Rapunzel I say

2007-07-22T19:17:00.000-06:00

Okay, I will be the first to say that I can't believe that I am exposing my back (my arms look like vienna sausages at the top)-this is when you are glad that you don't have a big following. So look beyond the body attached to this mane.
I decided to start growing my hair out last year as we were finishing up our dossier. I had decided that it would be easier to have a ponytail in China, and I thought it would be awesome to use it as a benchmark of the time passing, with the plan to cut and donate my hair here when we return from China. You must have 10 inches from one end of a pony tail to the other.
This may turn into the story of Rapunzel before it all ends.
I normally keep my hair cut to my chin in a bob, and I actually really like that cut with my long facial structure, but I can't tell you how much I love being able to just put my hair in a clip or a pony. Piece of cake, and I don't have to wash my hair everyday(it is long and people it is thick, so let me tell you that blowing drying this mop takes a long time, so I love not having to wash it everyday...not complaining, just don't like having to spend 30 min blowing it out)
I am pretty sure that by the time we get back from China it will be more than half way down my back, so I guess I will have the option to still keep it relatively long and still donate at least 10 inches.
So I will take another picture in about 6 months and we will compare.
I may have enough for everyone to donate:)

Glamour at 30,000 feet

2007-07-18T20:05:00.000-06:00

I was a flight attendant for 16 years for a major commercial carrier. I flew 10 of those 16 out of NYC. It was an amazing experience that I actually feel very blessed to have had. For a small Midwestern girl who never walked on a plane until she was 19....well I must say that I have seen the world, I have met people that I never thought in a million years I would meet. I have had the best of times, and the worst of times abroad an airplane. I met my husband, and some of the best friends that I have ever had on board an airplane. My children walk onto an airplane like they get into a car. I can't believe I got this lucky to have this job. But I must admit that there have been moments that I thought what in the hell am I doing here? The day the man spoke into the airvent as though he were ordering at Sonic was one of those days:)
But I find it my job now to try and make all of you the best passengers you can be. Most important rule of thumb. Give the f/a's your magazines and you will have a friend for life!

But this list is to just share with you in a nutshell what our job is really like....it is not so glamorous. As a passenger you should be able to still relate. If you have done any of these.....all I can say is never do them again.....you are who we talk about in the galley!

YOU MIGHT BE A FLT ATTENDANT IF...

1. You never unpack

2. You look to the ceiling when your doorbell goes off

3. You wish you had jet engines mounted in your bedroom so you could fall asleep faster

4. You don't ever write a full city name anymore(bugs your non airline friends) DTW MCO FCO BOM

5. You get excited over certain types of ice

6. You curse every "Bose headset wearing moron"--yes the electronic device announcement means you

7. You know how to look fresh in 5 day old clothes

8. No matter how many times you clean out your suitcase you still find ancient hidden treasures in there

9. You HATE boarding

10. You LOVE deplaning

11. Turbulence is not caused by clouds but caused by the initial movement of all beverage carts

12. You can't believe you've never been in a hotel van accident

13. You loathe your CEO

14. Businessmen on cell phones rank up there with the CEO

15. You remember the passengers with great manners(that's sad) .....we don't get many! Please and Thank you go a very long way!

16. You LOVE the Nicoderm commercial(if you have not seen it go to www,youtube.com and search it)

17. You can't remember when UM's ( UNACCOMPANIED MINORS) actually became bigger than you , ou also can't believe how young the children are that parents put on the plane by themselves.

18. You love foreigners because they can't adequately complain in English

19. You despise foreigners because they can't communicate effectively

20. You secretly cheer when another flight attendant has to deal with the medical emergency

21. You HATE on board duty free

22. You can't stand the frequent flyer who says"I fly more than you..." NO YOU DON"T!

23. You hate seeing passengers at your layover hotel

24. #$K drink cup & tray stackers ...I promise we can do it just fine without you stacking them...they always fall, and spill everywhere.

25. You hate when drinkers start calling you by name(don't buddy up to me loser) We will still cut you off, and we will still say that will be $5

26. You long for the days when it was easy to rig the hotel TV for free movies

27. You want to smack the nail clipping ,finger nail polishing, perfume spraying, nose picking, snoring morons (oh I mean passengers)

28. You do not want passengers talking to you while nonreving(when we fly on our passes) It is why we put our ipods on people!!

29. You travel in uniform for the liquids creams and gel exemption

30. If passengers can't find the flush button on the toilet---they should stay in there till they do!!!!!!!!

31. No I don't have a pen (you can borrow)

32. You are excited to find a can of different soda that is not supposed to be on your airline

33. You never imagined you could pass gas all the way across the Atlantic(jet belly my friends)

34. You get tired of telling people what you have to drink and showing them how to use the traytable!

35. You LOVE to sleep more than you love Rome!

36. You hate early morning departures---Who in the hell HAS to fly at 6 am ?

37. You wish your manager actually WAS a f/a at one point in there life

38. You can't believe your senior f/a is in their 80's-(doesn't matter what airline - they all have them) Retire already!

39. You try not to go the bathroom on the plane but you sure can catch a good nap in there

40. You hate that passengers think they can hear you without taking off there headsets

41. You wish bassinets were never invented

42. You are glad there are no hidden cameras in the galley

43. Your friends truly don't get the commuting part---"so you have to fly when and your trip starts where?? "

44. YES, "Remain seated for the duration of our flight" DOES mean YOU

45. There is one person at the airline you can't stand to fly with(sorry I have more than 1)

46. You can't figure out why your manager is not held accountable for the same things you are ie....why is fine that she can't drive to JFK because of the snowstorm, but she can't figure out why I can't fly there??

47. Your jumpseat partner knows more about you than your spouse or life partner

48. You know every departure time and arrival of every airline that flies to your home city...we commute people, we know these things.

49. We really mean it when we say we want to depart or land as much as you do!!

50. You want to announce over the p.a system that we really don't give a rats ass if you bring your seat forward for landing, but it is our job to do so, so we do it:)

Please also remember that our day did not start when yours did, it does not end when yours does. Don't be offended if we don't act thrilled out of our minds that you are going to Disney or Hawaii for the first time.....it is just another day on the airplane going to some random city as far as we are concerned. Our smiles wore off 10 hours ago. Our average day is 12-13 hours on the airplane, and most crew commute now, so most of us have only a 16 hour day if we are lucky!We really do want to be nice to you, but don't forget that we are in the transportation industry, the objective is to get from point A to Point B safely, and we really do try to do it with a smile on our face.

****as an added note our student(Shiyu-aka Amy) just called from Chongqing. She played a very short song for us on the piano, and told us her visa interview is this week, and that she promises to do well on it. She is scheduled to arrive Aug 18th. Her mom also got on the phone to say "Hello, how you, and we are fine" So cute!! We can't wait for her to get her.***

300 down, hopefully not 600 to go!

2007-07-17T03:56:00.000-06:00

There is nothing left to say here. If only I knew 300 days ago what I know now!

Meggie is in the house!

2007-07-14T12:42:00.000-06:00

Megan Josephine

June 7, 2007

3 lbs 8 oz
13 1/2 inches

Is home sleeping in her beautiful princess room. She came home yesterday to much fanfare after 5 weeks and 1 day in the NICU. She is doing great, and growing at a very rapid pace. She now weighs in at a hearty 5.5 lbs and is now 18 1/2 inches long.

Jack and Katie seem to be adjusting well to their new housemate. Jack has been a big help, and well Katie just thinks that they have added a new American Girl to the line....her name is Meggie. Katie also seems to think the breast pump is REALLY neat, and I guess she thinks breast milk taste pretty good too, as she finished off Meggie's bottle yesterday after it was put down-oooops.

By the way she still has red hair...mommy says it is strawberry blonde.....Aunt J says it's RED!

Welcome Home Meggie, we waited a long time for you, and it was worth every second of waiting.

All those that feel strange, raise your hand

2007-07-08T19:16:00.000-06:00

Someone had a meme on their blog that named 6 weird things about them.

That same day someone else emailed me to say how very weird(maybe it was strange) I was.

So decided that I would just go ahead and share a few "weird" or "strange" facts about myself.

I have so many that I am going to do 10 for you just to add to the strangness.

1. I absolutely loathe going to the grocery store. I really dislike everything about it. I don't like to touch the cart(love that they have the wipes for you now) I don't like trying to think about what I might like to cook or worse yet what I might not want to cook. My grocery was just remodeled, and now I have no idea where anything is, so I wonder around like a lost child, and then they ask you when you check out if you found everything okay....NO!!! I like to put all of my groceries in order in the cart, so that hopefully when they check them and then bag them they will be like items in the bag....that never works out. I really don't like carrying them into the house, and putting them away.....it clutters my pantry and refrigerator. But the main reason I don't like to do it, regardless of what I buy or how much I spend, it still never seems like we have anything to eat!! Maybe not strange, but stupid and I unfortunately I can't take the grocery off my check list.

2. Regardless of the time of year I have to sleep with the down comforter on the bed, and pulled up around me. Plus I must have socks on my feet when I get into bed. By morning the socks are gone and the comforter is at the bottom, but must have them in order for me to fall asleep.

3. I also must have complete silence and darkness to go to sleep. If I get up in the night to go to the bathroom, I can't turn on a light or have anyone talk to me, as that is FAR TO MUCH stimulation and I will never go back to sleep.

4. I can't mix my food. I don't really like it to touch. I have to eat one thing at a time. The only thing I would ever mix is mashed potatoes and corn. Well unless it is suppose to touch.

5. I am obsessed by my gas tank in my car. I don't like it to not be full. So if I have just filled up my car, and then the next day need to go out and do something.....I really think about whether I really need to go out, as it will use up my gas......I think I have mentioned a time or two that I suffer from severe OCD!!! The guy at our Costco gas station knows me by name!! This is a problem since gas is $3 a gallon.

6. I am very strange about smells. I think my house always smells good, as I have those mounted air fresheners that spray every 38 min. But I only like citrus or fresh linen as the scents. I have a particular candle that I have a love affair with....Seda France Japanese Quince. It makes me happy just writing its name down. I am very quick to smell, and very quick to judge a smell, and can't be exposed very long if I don't(read, makes me gag) like the smell. That is one reason why broccoli rarely if ever gets steamed in my house. This was always a problem when I was flying to really smelly places, and boy are there some smelly places in the world.

7. This is weird and seems to be a huge problem for me. I really have trouble deleting emails. I need to put them in files for keeping(don't know how to do that yet) but this problem has been exacerbated by the adoption, as any tidbit of info, or advice I get, I am certain I will need it, and so it just stays in my inbox. I too embarrassed to tell you how many emails I have in my box at the moment. This is a strange obsession and very weird behavior for me as I am not a pack rat and am extremely organized. But I just can't bring myself to delete much!!

8. I change the linens on my bed at least twice a week. The notion of dirty linens just makes my skin crawl. Heeby jeebies!! So then I must admit that I also have a linen fetish. My linen closet is filled with sheet sets and fresh towels. I love to buy both!! I prefer white linens!!

9. I forget I like certain foods. For example I never remember I like bananas until I make myself eat one. I go through phases where I will eat the same thing over and over again, and then one day I just decide that I don't like it anymore. Plus, I can't eat anything that is just wrong. Like buttered popcorn jelly bellies, and I won't even taste the V8 splash fruit juice, as it is suppose to be tomato juice not "fruity tasting juice" If there is any question that the milk might be too close to its expiration date I throw it away...this one drives Mr D crazy!!

10. I am dyslexic, I have worked on this since 2nd grade, and overall I don't find it a HUGE problem, but it definitely creeps back in at the least opportune times.

Hopefully this list has helped you feel better about any of your strange or weird qualities. If you are thinking this poor girl needs to see a therapist....you would be correct(but then I would disqualify as a parent in the eyes of the CCAA) I have actually cut the list down as I have gotten older. I already admitted that I have OCD issues, but at least they are not quite as serious as they were when I was in my 20's.

***by the way I also am not a morning person....AT ALL, but had a job for 16 years that required me to get up at 0'dark hundred! and I HATE to talk on the phone, but really struggle to end a phone call, even though I can't wait for it to end***

Let me know your weird or strange habits, qualities or eccentric behaviors. It might help me feel better about how strange I really seem on paper....I don't feel that strange:)

Lifes a beach

2007-07-01T17:36:00.001-06:00

We are off to the beach for a week.

Wishing everyone a very happy and safe 4th of July!!!

Lean on me!

2007-06-27T17:25:00.000-06:00

Okay, I whined and complained enough yesterday that it got me an invite to coffee with this lovely friend
We met on our FCC waiting family board, she is a sky goddess just like me, and we live about 10 minutes apart. So I met "M" for the first time in person a few months ago, and instantly hit it off. She also has a home business making these really cute cross t-shirts(cute huh? I know you want one) Anyway enough with the twinky stuff. Bottom line, we were instant friends, it was as though we had known each other forever.
This adoption has brought so many things to my life that I would have never imagined. Friendship seems to be the real reward in this journey, and I have been truly blessed with some really amazing friends so far. I have always been fortunate to have a really tight circle of GREAT girlfriends, but this process has lead me to expand that circle to include some really amazing women.
Yesterday I was a little freaked out(now that is an understatement) and just needed to let the world know that I was feeling a little picked on. "M" instantly recognized that I needed a little TLC and Starbucks to mend my broken heart. So we met up this morning, and she brought me that incredibly cute t-shirt(you can have one too) a BIG hug, and some kind words to cheer this girl up. It worked magic, and while I still feel like this whole thing isn't fair, and a crock of crap. I realize that I am not here all by myself, and I am not feeling anything that anyone else isn't feeling. I also know that someday(hopefully sooner rather than later) I will be in a big room with all of my adoption friends watching our girls play together, and we will never think back to this crappy wait.
So anyway I will try and keep the whiny voice to a minimum, and if you have not made some adoptive friends, I heartily recommend that you head on out and find some. It helps so much have someone to complain to....mostly because you never have to wonder if they get it..... because they REALLY GET IT!!

Adoption....not for the faint at heart!

2007-06-26T08:32:00.000-06:00

Just having one of those weeks. 9 months of waiting, 14 months since starting the process, and there is NO end in sight. Getting older by the day, both of my stepchildren will have graduated from college by the time we get our referral. We would like to think about selling our house, but don't dare as it will be way too much work, and way to expensive to change our paperwork.
I realize that there are people in the world that have REAL problems. But I am taking today to just stomp my feet, and say in my best 5 year old voice; "THIS IS NOT FAIR"
By the way if one more person tells me that they are pregnant, or that their kids drive them crazy, or to have a nice day.........I am going to scream my head off!

I find myself reading other's adoption stories, and I actually feel deep in my soul that I can't even comprehend their feelings, as it truly feels as though this will never be a reality for us. 3 years from now? I can't even go there. What would be the point? I don't need any comments on this....I just need to vent. This sucks is all I have to say!!

Okay, back to having a pity party by myself, and eating Pepperidge Farm Tahiti cookies.

* I read someone's first 5, and thought I would comment as to my first 5 each day. Not unlike this person I wake every morning thinking that someday I won't get to sleep that late, that someday I won't wake to the sound of my alarm or D showering, I will awaken to the sound of a little voice in the room across the hall. I think maybe today is the day that we will finally see a turn or a change, or maybe today is the day that we will have a more definative answer, maybe today RQ will have some good news for us, maybe today will be the day that I find out when I might become a mother.
Somedays the order changes, but the same mantra runs through each and every morning.
This week, the mornings don't seem so bright. Did I already say this SUCKS?

Run don't walk!!

2007-06-22T22:00:00.000-06:00

Okay, run as fast as you can, do not walk, do not pass go, and do not collect $200. Instead run straight for the cookie aisle and pick up a couple of packages of Pepperidge Farm Tahiti cookies, on your way out pick up a nice box of Twinings english breakfast tea, go home and have a lovely afternoon with a friend(if you dare share one of these amazing cookies)

Let me know if you pick some up, and I will be right over.

I hate loving things that taste good! Dreaming about cookies...what a loser!

Margarita's at my house, thanks to my SP!

2007-06-21T16:37:00.000-06:00

I know I say this every month(we aren't even suppose to be getting gifts every month) but my Secret Pal is the best. I just know she and I would be great friends. We have the same taste. I am pretty sure that she must scrapbook or make cards as she always includes really cute tags, so I can tell that she at least has the supplies to do those crafts. She makes the packaging as cute as the gift is inside which is something I pride myself on.

I just love anticipating my box arriving from my secret friend.

That cute white dress you see, well you will see it again. We will be taking a really cute beach picture in that little white frock. I love that bathing suit. Miss Katie has that suit as well. The frame will look darling in her room(which you can see is blue at this moment) Please don't think I went and forgot that I invited everyone over for margarita's. Key lime margarita's to be more precise, you are all invited over this Saturday:) See, she thinks of everything.

So my dear friend out there, thank you, thank you, thank you. I really hope you are being spoiled by your SP. I have a treat for you that I will send to Nicole and she can forward on to you. Please enjoy, and again please know that I LOVE all the gifts.

P.S. please tell your niece that I loved the picture. Long hair, hands and feet!! What more could I ask for??

The long weekend

2007-06-17T16:44:00.000-06:00

Here we are roaring down the river. Yes that is my very buff and tan stepdaughter, D is in the front with the hat, and that is me(is that a smile on my face?) in the white hat. My BIL is across from me, and Uncle R is in the front with D.

Here we are in the middle of our horseback ride at 10,000 feet.

Well friends here we sit in the airport waiting to go home from one of the best trips we have done in a really long time. If I could recommend a trip to you for a ton of fun, great weather and amazing scenery this would be the trip. Buena Vista, Colorado.

My step-daughter is working her second summer as a raft guide. D came to visit her last summer, unfortunately I couldn't come with him. So we decided that we would make it a long weekend vacation to celebrate Father's day. We met up with my BIL and his longtime partner(they flew in from LA) on Thur and we drove to here. We stayed in the cabin that sits right on the Arkansas river. Friday morning we rose very early to drive the 1 1/2 hours to the rafting outfitters that "T" works for dropped her off and went to grab a good hearty breakfast. ***just want to interject the fact that I literally slept all of 2 hours as I was so completely freaked out about this rafting experience that I woke D up at 3:00 a.m. to tell him that there was not going to be any way that I could go, that I was terrified, and that I didn't want to hurt "T's" feelings but I just did not have it in me to go**** Needless to say I got up I decided that with my 40th birthday quickly approaching that I was not going to let this kick me in the arse, that I was going to go if it killed me......I was certain that it just might.

After we ate we headed back here and we suited up in our wetsuits(very slimming I might add)and our splash jackets as the water temperature was a balmy 50'. We got on the bus with about 17 kids from a youth group, and two other poor souls from Miami. Now on the bus ride they give you the whole safety spiel, and really try to scare you to death...if you weren't already. They do this as you are conveniently rolling past all of the rapids that you will soon be navigating. I looked at my BIL, who by the way was scared to death as well. We both had that look of: why are we doing this? and is it too late to bail?

We arrive at the putin place where fortunately for me there was a ladies room, as I used it 3 times before I actually put my body into the boat(not so easy in my slimming wetsuit) Finally we had our instructions of forward 1, forward 2, back paddle 1, and what to do if you become a "swimmer" and how to avoid boulders and rocks with our heads and spines...note to self: better to bounce off of the rocks with our feet and not our heads. Well we were finally in the boat, and moving down the Arkansas. Now I must admit that by this point I am actually feeling a little better about our situation. T seems to be in full control, the water is very cold which gives you good incentive to do whatever it takes to keep yourself in the boat. After about 15 minutes I forget that I am afraid, and I am actually having a great time. I realize that we haven't hit anything more than a class 1(bathtub experience) and we have 18 miles of river to still explore. But remarkably I along with my BIL were having a great time.

Once we started hitting some of the bigger rapids I have to say it was a ton of fun, didn't really seem that scary, and the frigid water actually felt good on our skin when we would get splashed. We didn't go into anything bigger than a class 3 rapid(it goes to 6....6 meaning you will not survive) But regardless, I was so impressed by my stepdaughter I can't even tell you. She was in charge, she knew what she was doing, she was funny, and made the trip really fun for all of us including the lucky two from Miami that were on our boat with us. We had 3 boats in on in our group.

We stopped for a nice lunch, and then back onto the river. By this point I felt very confident of my abilities(or lack thereof) Then we hit this hole that catapulted most of us into the center of the boat. My BIL landing on top of the poor little(I do mean little in a literal way) from Miami. She crawled out from underneath him(while he was apologizing profusely) and just busted out laughing. Then the whole boat broke out into full belly laughter, as thankfully no one swam, but we were drenched to say the least.

I can't begin to tell you how fun this day turned out to be. Whitewater river rafting is something that I have done before.....in Montana when I was 25 and single, and a lot more adventurous. I felt like I had been there done that, and didn't need to do it again. But I am so glad that I made myself go, as it was an experience that I will never forget, and I am glad to have seen T doing what she loves to do, and what she is incredibly good at doing. It was truly one of the most exciting days I have had in a really long time.

The next day we were scheduled to go for a 3 hour horseback ride here. I will share the story with you in the next installment of "the long weekend" I promise it will make you laugh to hear the tales of four 40 and up people atop of horses where they have not sat in over 10 years. I know you are already laughing, and I can't because it hurts too much!! So more to come.

She might not be from China, but this black haired little girl sure makes me smile.

2007-06-13T09:27:00.000-06:00

There's a new girl in town.

2007-06-10T20:01:00.001-06:00

Here is our new girl. Now tell me that's not cute. I am not sure if you can tell or not, but she has red hair! Yep, you heard me right. our little Meggie is showing her true Irish colors, it is absolutely red, ginger, whatever you want to call it. Can you believe that she has this much hair. Had she gone to term there would have been enough hair for the full on bow-head look. She is a girl after her Aunt J's heart.

They are already giving her formula and breast milk(about 4 days earlier than planned) because she is doing so well. We were wrong on her weight(even on the birth certificate) she really weighed 3 lbs 8 oz, and when you are that small, and a girl it is important to have all the details right. However the stork is wrong in the front yard(didn't get that correction until it was too late) Meggie's mommy came home today. She said it was very hard to leave her behind. But she will be to visit everyday, and we hope that since all the nurses say she is a lean mean fighting machine that she will hopefully only be there for 4 weeks.

So I know you are oooohhhhing and gooooooooing right along with me. I just can't get over how cute she looks for being so early. We were all really expecting her to look like a baby bird for a few weeks. But instead we have a real red headed beauty on our hands.

***** I know you aren't looking to see pictures of woi, but please know that this is not the greatest of pictures of Aunt J, but was the best one to give you a good size perspective. I had not had more than 6 hours of sleep, or any make up the entire time I was there. Plus you can see the results of taking the kids to the pool everyday, and by the time I was done putting sunscreen on them, it never made it to my body. So while the kids never burnt, I can't say the same for myself. Oh how I will look forward to the day when I am looking like this all the time:)*****

The stork dropped off an extra one

2007-06-07T18:58:00.000-06:00

It is with great pleasure that we announce the birth of Megan Josephine. She was born this morning at 6:13 a.m. weighing in at a whopping 3 lbs 4 oz and she is approx 13 1/2 inches long. She came out crying, and is doing remarkably well considering that she is 9 weeks early. She is breathing on her own, and they are only having to give her antibiotics, and IV fluids. We feel very lucky that she is doing so well, there are a lot of babies in the NICU that are so much smaller than Meggie. She has tons of strawberry blond hair, and looks just like Jack did as a baby. So what could be cuter??

Her Mommy is doing pretty well considering this was her 3rd C-section. She is scheduled home on Sunday. Meggie will follow behind in about 4-6 weeks. They usually keep them until their due date, but because she was actually pretty big(that is relative, considering her diaper would not even fit on a doll) they seem to think 6 weeks will be her max stay at the Ritz Carleton.

I have been so busy with Jack and Katie, that I am brain dead and a bad aunt as I showed up at the hospital without my camera.
So I will have to post pictures over the weekend of our beautiful girl.

Thanks for all of the well wishes, and I can't wait for you to see what a beauty she is.
I am headed home tomorrow, and hopefully will be back when Meggie arrives home.
I look forward to the day I can hold, and love on her.
It has been a very long road to this little miracle.

I will try to post while we are in Houston for the big HS reunion(that D is claiming he is not interested in attending anymore) too bad....we're going.

Here I go again

2007-06-02T19:14:00.001-06:00

I know it seems like all I do is go out of town, but here I go again.

My best friend(keeper of the nest) has been on bed rest now for 13 weeks, she is 30 weeks pregnant with her 3rd child(a girl-Meggie) and while I was on the phone with her on Friday her water broke(not completely, but it broke) By the miracle of modern medicine they are able to feed her antibiotics, and keep her in the hospital while they also give her steroids to help the baby's lungs and final brain development progress. They said they can possibly keep her like this for up to 4 weeks! Who knew??
So in the mean time Jack and Katie( my two darlings) are being passed from neighbor to neighbor to friend, to babysitter. So Aunt J is on her way for the week to help out. So we will be at the pool each day, trying to enjoy summer as every other 3 & 5 year old are this summer, and not thinking about the fact that mommy is in the hospital.
So I will be there until Friday, and then we are headed back to Houston to take my MIL home(sorry I am going to miss her last week here visiting with us, can't wait to see what she does with my yard while I am gone) while we are in Houston we will also be going to D's 30 year HS class reunion(now that should be fun)
So I am outta here, and wishing a happy week to those who will see their child's face for the first time, and hoping the numbers will look better than forecasted.
I will return with good pictures, some good stories, and hopefully a good tan!

Please keep the keeper of the nest in your thoughts, she could use some good karma right about now.
Adios

6000 visitors

2007-05-29T14:57:00.001-06:00

It happened today, around noon, and I think it was Karlee's mom who should be seeing Karlee's little face any day now.

When this started, I never dreamt that 10 people would ever click on my blog, so to have had so many people come, and visit is just overwhelming. For those that do follow along, please know how much it means to me to have you come along for what has turned into the longest journey in the world. We are going to be very good friends by the time this one is over.

peace out

We are the proud new parents of a fuzzy little girl

2007-05-29T14:21:00.001-06:00

Okay, what happens when you breed a cream standard poodle with a chocolate labradoodle?
You become the proud new parents of a black f1b labradoodle. We just found out this morning that Zeta had her puppies last night. 9 little fuzzy beautiful creatures. 8 are cream, and the special one(ours) is the only dark, dark chocolate almost black one.

***** Can you guess which one is ours?? LOL***** We couldn't be more excited. It has taken a long time for us to even considering bringing another dog into our house. We are both still actively grieving the loss of our 12 year old cocker. I hope this puppy will bring some new life into the house, and make it active again. I look forward to going for walks, and trips to the park, and rides in the car.
It is all very strange. We both had agreed that we wanted a labradoodle, but we spent a great deal of time searching for the right breeder. We knew that we wanted a second generation as they are less likely to shed. We thought that would be good for the baby, as she might have allergies. Plus need I remind you I am a little OCD, and so dog hair in my house does not work for me and my illness. We came across what appears to be a wonderful breeder who doesn't breed that often, and they specialize in chocolate doodles. I have a thing for black and chocolate dogs. I knew that Zeta was due memorial day weekend, and this particular breeder does not do a list, she tells you when the dogs are due, and you keep in contact and if she has a puppy that fits your desires than she makes a match. I emailed her last night when I went to bed, and sure enough we awoke to an email announcing that 9 puppies had been born. She told me that she thought that she had the puppy we had been waiting for as all of them were cream except for one. We knew that this was meant to be. So I sent her the deposit this morning, and then she emailed me this afternoon, and told me that she had a closer examination of the pups, and that our girl is really more of a dark, dark chocolate or almost black color. She said that she could not believe it, as they had never had a black pup, and how did they get a black pup from a cream daddy and a chocolate momma?? She said I hope that black is okay, as she is beautiful. I almost cried I was so happy. Chocolate was fine as I have always wanted a chocolate dog, but the fact that she is black just makes me buzz with happiness. I know that she is the dog for us. D responded with....."that is so awesome" So I told her that we were thrilled, and to take good care of our girl, and we can't wait to see pictures of her. We should be able to get her in about 8 weeks, so the end of July we will make the journey to pick up our new girl.

I hate to divuldge what I think our new fuzzy baby will be named as I know a few folks that are naming their daughter this. But I must tell you that this named was picked because I love this name, and it was on our name list for the baby. So if I can't name our daughter this, I decided that I had one last chance to use it. So as of late her name will be Ruby. There are still a couple of choices on the table, but this is my vote.

New York, New York

2007-05-21T08:26:00.000-06:00

Okay kids, we have been in NYC since Saturday, and don't leave until Wednesday late afternoon. We have been looking forward to this trip for about 5 months. D has a conference this week, and while we have both been to NYC a lot(we both have worked here for extensive periods of time) we haven't been here together in quite some time. So we have had a great time so far. The city has been very busy considering school isn't out yet. We are staying in Midtown-not somewhere we typically stay(too busy, too touristy) No complaints, we have subway stop just 2 blocks away, so the location has actually been very good.

The weather didn't really cooperate on Saturday, so we just grabbed some dinner, and headed back to the hotel with the smartest elevators in town! But yesterday we slept in, headed out for some brunch, and then hit the streets. Even with the number of times we have been here,neither of us had visited ground zero. I look forward to seeing it when it isn't just a construction site, and there is a proper memorial for those who lost their lives. We then headed for Canal, and I must tell you to heed my advice; don't do it on the weekend. I have never been down there on a weekend, and will try not to do it again. If this is anything like what we will experience(amount of people) in China, I may have really big anxiety issues by the time we return. It was shoulder to shoulder people...sweaty people. But must tell you that did not slow down my bargaining power. I am feeling very good about my purchases.

D had a dinner meeting at some swanky place, it was a bit funny as D is not a sushi eater... so when you are going to a place called Koi he was already off to a bad start. He did say that they had some great appetizers. He is a meat and potato's kind of guy, bt I don't think he is complaining about his Kobe beef he enjoyed, while everyone else ate sushi. But while D was being swanky, I headed to the west side to see my lovely friend Comanche. She is a wine rep, she is funny, cute, smart, and I just love her to death. She had always been so gracious to allow me to stay with her in between my trips during my days of flying. So it was awesome to see her and catch up since I have not seen her since last Oct. We headed out for Indian, and let me just tell you the food, the service, the weather, and most certainly the company were incredible. We sat there for 2 hours and caught up, ate and drank until we were stuffed!! May I suggest you try the mint naan.

Tomorrow will be a highlight of our trip. We are going to see David Letterman. I have wanted to see this show my entire adult life, and finally we have tickets. So tune in on Tuesday when Dave will have Charles Barkley on, and we will be in the audience. We are really excited.

So this is all I have of our trip right now, but will update with pictures and more about our trip to Letterman when we return.

She's Home!

2007-05-17T08:24:00.000-06:00

Welcome to our newest US Citizen!

It has been a privilege to watch this trip. It really became part of my morning ritual to get a cup of tea, sit down at my computer, and see what has been happening in the world of Emme Lu. I really haven't visited this site much since we were paperchasing last summer. When I discovered this site it was an immediate obsession. I had read every single story, including every single day of their trip to China. For the families that were in China at the time, for me it was as good as reality TV. It felt as though I really knew them, I felt like I was right there with them on Gotcha day. I would wonder about them long after they were home and hadn't updated their site. But once we were logged in, and the reality of the "real" wait began to sink in, it was almost too much for me mentally to even think of jumping over there for a look see. Well fast forward about 7 months, and that is when I learned that we would be watching the trip to get Emme, it all became so new, so REAL for me to be watching someone from my group go pick up their child. If you missed it; trust me on this one you don't want to miss it, you will want to sit a spell, go here get a cup of joe and read every word, and see every picture of an amazing trip to China to pick up an amazing little girl who looks wise beyond her years.
It is one of the best China stories I have watched. I am sure it meant more to me because I feel like I know this family.
I love how it feels to be as excited about "my friends" going to get their children as I know I will be when it is our turn. It makes my day when I hear someone that I know is getting their referral, or that someone has found out that they were picked to be the lucky family to a WC. We have had a lot of good news amongst my group lately, and it is the good news we have all been needing. I think I will be watching at least one family at all times this summer, and I am really looking forward to seeing all of those families joined together. I think it makes it feel more "real" it makes you feel like you are making progress, and that it will actually really happen to you someday.
So I am excited to watch this little one thrive in her new home, with her forever family. I think she is going to do amazing things. Our family is wishing her a BIG welcome home, and a BIG thank you for letting us tag along for their journey of a lifetime.

Your word is all you have at the end of the day!

2007-05-13T20:19:00.000-06:00

I am so disgusted with Survivor, and the integrity of it's players that I may be done watching it******Well that was until they announced that the next season will be Survivor China. Can't help it, but I won't be missing one single episode. **** This is so much worse than when Johnny Fairlane or whatever his name was, lied and said his grandma died(that guy was scum too)

Dreamz, I hope you sleep well at night, and wish you the very best, as you didn't win the money(like you had a chance) you don't know the definition of integrity, and at the end of this day you only have a truck and some really BAD KARMA!!! Good luck with that. Sucks to be you!

Thank goodness it was Earl, as Cassandra was just along for the ride, and really didn't earn her spot in the top three. Yao Man should have won, hands down.

Can I ask if anyone noticed if the other two won anything? Usually the second runner up wins like $100K, but it didn't appear to be the case this season. Maybe I missed something as I was off throwing up in pure disgust.

I am happy that this season of TV watching is coming to a close. I hate to see my favorite shows end, but I am so productive during the summer, as I watch very little television.

So just a couple of weeks, and our TV will be going on hiatus.

Last but certainly not least Happy Mother's Day or mu qīn jié to all of you yummy mummies out there(sorry love the shopaholic series) I have been thinking about what we will do special to recognize and observe our daughters birthmother on this day. I think it is important that we are always thankful to her, and hope that she finds peace in the hope that her daughter has gone on to a happy, loving, and secure life where she will have opportunities that she may not have had otherwise, such as a good education. I hope that we can find something that is heartfelt, and something that would be considered very respectful by Chinese Standards. It does appear that they do celebrate this holiday. I will be interested to see if you have any things you are planning on doing to recognize your child's birthmother on this day. Maybe planting something, or maybe writing letters that we can put away and read someday.

I know that this day will always be a bit bittersweet to me once we have our daughter here with us. It will always remind me that someone else had to lose a treasure for me to have the greatest gift of all. I want to respect that, and I want our daughter to recognize that there is a very special woman out there who really did a very selfless gesture, and her "mommy" is very thankful for that gesture.
In celebration of this holiday, I received a great surprise from my secret pal. I told you my secret pal rocks. What a beautiful surprise. I love the book, and loved the card, but especially loved the surprise. Thanks!
Someday my friends I will look at your blogs and see a beautiful child's face in the pictures, and there will be lovely pictures of our mother's day with our children. Oh, I can't wait for that day!

Pelvic thrust no more, and some other idol chatter.

2007-05-09T08:08:00.000-06:00

People, I must tell you it is about time this dude was voted off. Not only was he a bad dancer, it was hard for me to even look at him. If he had done one more pelvic thrust, I was going to have throw up, and give up one of my favorite shows. He needed to go a lot sooner than he did. I was put into complete panic mode when Joey was in the bottom two with this hillbilly. I am betting on Joey and Apolo going to the end. Sorry to any of you that are big 90210 fans, but Ian has a major chip on his shoulder, is too skinny, has a weird neck, really big white teeth(where do all of those celebrities get their teeth whitened? my crest white strips are not doing the job. Finally, he tries WAAAAAAAYYYY too hard. He is next on my chopping block. He has even made me not really enjoy who has always in the past been my favorite dancer (Cheryl Burke)
I must tell you that I thought Julianne and Apolo's tango was the most amazing dance I have seen to date. I am telling you that once D and I start our dance lessons, we are going to be tangoing.....is that a word? constantly. That will be sight that everyone will look forward to, including myself.
It will be hard for me to decide between Apolo and Joey, because I heart Joey, and yes I do have a few Insync songs on my ipod.
Okay kids moving on to TAR. I have to be honest here. Not my favorite season. Didn't miss an episode, but really disappointed with the outcome. There is consolation in Eric and Danielle(please put a shirt on)winning this season. That is the fact that I am not having the expected post partum that I usually have when this show ends, and I immediately start counting the days until it comes back on. I wasn't really thrilled or rooting for any of the final three teams, but I would have to say Eric and Danielle were at the bottom of the list of the remaining teams. I don't think they were even that good at the race(I know some would disagree, as they encountered some really bad luck, but seemed to prevail) I certainly did not like the Blondie's, but you have to admit they were ferocious competitors. Then Myrna and Charla bugged the hell out of me, but again, you gotta give it to them....great competitors. So in the end I would rather that great racers win than someone who really just got lucky. I would have felt a bit better if either of those teams had won.
But I was really rooting for Danny and Oswald. Damn the karma, but what else could they have done except convince the Blondie's that it should be Myrna and Chyrmna. They were my favorite in their first season, and I had really hoped that they would win it all this time. Damn the karma. Oh well. Until next season Phil, I will miss you.

Yao man is where its at on Survivor. This has not been one of my favorite seasons of Survivor, but, I am really backing the Yao Man team. He is so cute and smart, what more could you want? I am certain it is driving those 20 somethings crazy that this "50 year old, little smart Asian man" is still in the race and has the immunity idol to keep him around a little longer. By the way I think it is a stupid rule that you have to relinquish the idol before the vote. It really takes it value away. Has that always been the rule? because I don't really remember that being the case.

So Yao man...Cheers to you, and I think you have a lot of fans backing you. I am sort of watching the Bachelor. This show is like a train wreck to me. You know you shouldn't, and you don't even like looking, but..........you just can't help yourself. Andy drives me crazy. I don't think he is cute, I don't really find anything about him cute. He doesn't come across that smart, and well he just bugs. The girls they picked this season bug more than they have ever bugged me before. They are perfect for the "not so cute" bachelor, as I didn't find many of them that cute. I am backing Tessa, but it may be Bevin despite her admission to a previous marriage(her bad) I think this should be the last season of this train wreck.

D can't stand that I would waste one minute on this show. He thinks it may be the most ridiculous show on television. I would have to agree, but I can't seem to not catch up each week on TIVO. At least I watch it commercial free, so I only waste about 25-30 minutes per week on it. But I just figured out that he erased it from the TIVO when I wasn't paying attention. Crap, now I need to log on and see who he booted. I am sure it was the girl who's family didn't show. Plus she is only 23. Hello, what is a 23 year old doing on that show. Someone needs to offer that girl some motherly advice; No marriage until you are a grown up.

I watch Idol as well. But have not followed it as closely as I usually do. I am voting for Melinda. But I also like Lakeesha(sp?) But am really fine with whoever wins this season.

Let me know what you think of my reality list, and give me an update on the ones you watch. I am an admitted reality TV junkie, but I am considering recovery. But don't let that stop you from sharing with me.

Toto, I don't think we are in Kansas anymore

2007-05-03T08:25:00.000-06:00

***edited**
first Happy Mother's day next week. I totally thought it was this weekend. So much that I sent all of my mother's day cards out yesterday....what a OCD freak.

Then I have no idea why I thought that the booting off part of Dancing with the Stars was on Wed. I know it is on Tues, but somehow I was confused this week, and thought it was being interupted by the weather. But then when I looked at TIVO it showed that it had taped it. So I was convinced that TIVO is so smart( and it is) and that since the weather wasn't on everywhere else in the country that it still just taped the network and not the local version of what was on....okay just work with me here. Yes it was a very blonde moment, and my husband said he didn't say anything to me so that it wouldn't hurt my feelings and he knew I would figure it out. DUH!!!!

I am so over due in updating. Time just seems to fly by. I would say that is a great thing while we are waiting, but it isn't flying by that fast. But here is what has been keeping me busy.

I have lived in TX for 17 years, and grew up in the Midwest, so this tornado thing isn't something new to me. But I must tell you, for the last two weeks(actually for the last 2 Wednesday-I know this to be the case, because I keep missing who gets booted off of Dancing with the Stars for god sakes) But last Wednesday we were fairly certain that there was a strong possibility that we were going to actually experience a tornado first hand. So we grabbed our stuff(for me that included my purse, cell phone, our dossier, our scrapbooks that I loaded into trash bags, and some sneakers-Not sure exactly what "D" grabbed-I am sure more practical stuff) The sirens started going off, the sky got a strange green hue to it, and the wind picked up. But it still didn't feel that scary as "D" was here, and he was calm as usual. We didn't actually get into the closet except to make sure we would fit with all the cushions we had put in there. It all passed by pretty quickly, and I think there ended up being only one tornado that actually did only a little bit of damage, and it wasn't even that close to us.
But then yesterday rolled around, and while I knew that storms were forecasted, I was not the least bit worried. Well that was until I saw the GIANT band of RED headed towards us, and the reports that there were rotations reported, and that there was torrential rain, and up to 100 mph straight line winds. OKAY friends I am now home by myself, and I am FREAKING out. Freaking out so much that all I grabbed was my purse(with my phone) flashlight, and this wind up radio thing. So I call "D" to tell him to not leave the office(which he had and was sitting in traffic) He tells me to be calm, and just a make sure I have a flashlight, plenty of cushions, and to crack a window. Well about that time I see our patio table and umbrella go flying pass the window and into the yard, and the trees are sideways, and it is raining so hard that I can't see the houses across the street. The lightening was terrible so we decide that we should hang up, and I told him I would call him back to give him an update to when he would be getting the brunt of the storm. Well about 3 minutes later the siren that is right in our neighborhood went off, and needless to say, that was all she wrote. Thankfully we don't have our daughter yet, as I would have scared her to death. I just started crying like a little girl. I thought this was really going to happen, and I was going to have to do it all by myself. I have never seen it storm like this before. I mean we have 30 foot trees in our front yard, and they were leaning so far over I thought there is no way for them to not just snap like a toothpick. The icing on the cake was when the electricity went off, and now I could no longer hear or see the TV to know what was happening. That part really sucked. I just sat in our downstairs closet on my cell phone while crying on the phone and chastising my husband for always working too late(like that was useful-I apologized later) and he just stayed calm as a cucumber, and kept telling me that I would be safe, and it would be okay. He was right, it was okay. When it was finally over I needed to go to bed as I felt like I had been through a tornado, I was mentally exhausted.
So this was the first time in nearly 40 years of living, I really thought this was going to be a scene out of The Wizard of OZ. But here I am no worse for the wear. This tornado thing really sucks. I think that once again we were very lucky, and our area escaped with minimal damage.
However we did get much needed rain. I think they said that there are still 200,000 without electricity.

Okay, the next thing I want to share with you is the attachment/bonding seminar I went to last week. It was presented by Lutheran Social Services. The facilitator was Dr. Karyn Purvis, and it was the best 8 hours I have ever spent. She was a great speaker, and just a wealth of information. If you ever have a chance to hear her speak I highly recommend it. If you can't see her, I recommend her book The Connected Child, and you can go here to get it. She is the director of Child Development at Texas Christian University. I learned more in that 8 hours than I think I ever learned in a semester class in college. I think her book would be helpful to any parent who might be having behavior/sensory issues regardless if they were adopted.

On the referral front. I am happy that we are finally into November, I really just want to get into 06' This may be the first month that I felt that referrals wouldn't go as far as they did. The referral thing is just so relative. This is the like the gas situation we have going on right now. Remember when gas started inching towards $2.00, and everyone was freaking about it?? Then it passed $2.00 and went to $3.00, so when gas went back down to about $2.30 we thought it was so cheap(ridiculous thinking on our part) Well when we had only 2 days of referrals last month, the 6 days this month was such a relief...even though 2 of those days were weekend days. Same sort of thinking, they have us thankful that they produced another measly batch. I am not complaining, as 6 is better than 2, but I think it is time for them to stop taking vacations, and get to work. I must say that I am pleased to see how young the babies were this round. I have really seen some beautiful pictures in this batch.

We are off to the East meets West conference this weekend. I would like to not go as it is being hosted by Great Wall, and I really have mean, negative feelings about this agency because of their involvment in this adoption. While I appreciate everyones personal opinion on this particular situation, I must tell you that I feel great pain for this family, and I feel like they their treatment was reprehensible. Everyone seems to be pointing fingers at this mother, and I ask that you to try as hard as you can to stand in her shoes, consider all of the circumstances, and then point the finger at the agency first. This is what they are suppose to specialize in, they have been doing China adoptions for a long time, and to claim that they have never had this happen or they don't know what to do is irresponsible. This could just as easily been you or me, and then I think everyone would change their mind on whether their treatment was fair. So having said that, we are still going to this seminar as I think it will be full of good information. There will be an orphange director there to speak to us...the part I am most interested in. But we have spent a lot of $$$$ to register(it was not cheap at all) so we will still go. But I will never tell someone that I think that they should use this agency. For all of us in line, I tell you to read this to arm yourself with the proper information so this doesn't happen to you.

Happy Mothers Day to all of you.

It makes me tired just reading it!

2007-04-22T15:47:00.000-06:00

Well, well, well, well, well.

I know I have been horrible about not keeping up with my blogger obligations. But let me just tell you how busy my life has been for what seems like weeks at this point.

I did make it back from my nest watching duties. It really was a needed trip to help them out. The "official nest watcher" is now 24 1/2 weeks pregnant, and has at least 8-10 weeks left sitting on the nest. Yes, she is going crazy if you are wondering. While I was there I literally stepped into her mommy shoes and off to town we went. Jack and Katie were both willing participants, and Brian, well lets just say I think I saw a tear roll down Brian's face when he dropped me at the airport. We had a full schedule, including back and forth to school. **I will be signing up for the pre-school that comes to your car and takes and puts your child in and out of the car seat....that is a supreme benefit** We went to gymnastics, swimming lessons, dance class, baseball, open gym, grocery shopping, Easter bunny shopping, Easter bunny paw print making at midnight before Easter morning, wedding gift shopping, 24 meals made at super suppers, dog walking, closet cleanings, returning all the dishes to the rightful owners(yes, such great neighbors bringing meals several times a week-thank you so much!!) You name and I had it on my list. Including the full day at the hospital with her dad while he had hernia surgery. He is doing fine, and actually the day there was not so bad either. We had the best nurse ever...Jamie. Jamie if you are reading, just want you to know that you rock my world. You made the day go by so quickly, and I so enjoyed visiting with you all day!!
I really need to make one more trip back before Miss Meggie makes her appearance, but not sure if it will work into my schedule. We have the busiest 3-4 months ahead than we have ever had. We are traveling every single month, Big C will be home for what sounds like a quick Maymester, and then he will be off to work at a camp in the Hill Country. Then we have to prepare for our exchange students arrival. She is for sure coming. I have her registered with the district, and so it really is a done deal. A 17 year old living with us for 10 months. So a quick trip back to KC may just not be in the cards. I will be going back though when the baby is born to help out for 2 weeks. We just are not sure when that is going to be right now.

We just arrived back home from a weekend in Austin. We had dinner with Big C on Friday, and then we went to Earth day in Austin on Saturday. Then we were off to see a group of adopting families that had travelled from all over the country for this weekend. So we had a great time with all of them on Saturday night. Bar-b-Que, drinks, lots of laughter, and lots of fun. I was so excited to meet this group, and now reading their blogs takes on a new meaning...because I actually know you now!! We look forward to meeting up with a few more adopting families throughout the summer. While I would have told you a year ago that meeting friends on line is a bit strange and unusual. I now would tell you that I am not sure what I would have done this past year if I had to have walked this journey alone. So here's to the friendships I have made throughout this process. There are so many of you that I would love to meet in person.

Here is our group picture from Austin. Trust me, we had a really good time that night.

This is us prank calling Shelba, since she couldn't make it.

This is when the party got really going!! **sorry we had to protect the guilty from prosecution, so you will just have to wonder what everyone looks like***

Here is a band that we listened to at Earth Day in Austin, yes they are about 12 or 13, but let me tell you those little boys are going to be famous someday.These were the belly dancers we watched at Earth Day. They were amazing, and I wish I could move my body like them, and actually I wish my abs looked theirs.

Finally, here is my first secret pal gift that we received. I really have the best secret pal, but don't want to hurt anyone elses feelings. She is so thoughtful, has great taste and clearly has a sense of humor. If you remember when I posted Katie's picture when she had found the marker while she was suppose to be napping....and did the body work of art. Well my secret pal sent Katie some bath markers...how funny is that?? Thank you secret pal. I hope my secret pal has received her gift from me. She has not posted it yet, so I am worried that it hasn't arrived, and it should have.

So that is all for now. Have a very busy week ahead. I have quite a pile of embroidery that needs to get done. But that is a good thing!!
Wishing you a happy week ahead!

2007-04-07T12:34:00.000-06:00

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Run down before I blow this popsicle stand

2007-04-01T20:02:00.000-06:00

Have deleted my excitement over the the secret pal that I was assigned. I decided that I had said too much, and didn't want her to have a clue of who I am. So I wonder, wonder, wonder who she might be???

I am out of here again for 2 weeks. I am off to help the "the keeper of the nest" If you don't already know my best friend(for 20 years) is pregnant with her 3rd child and on full bed rest with a 3 & 5 year old. So I am going back to help keep them afloat. So won't be posting much if at all. I will be watching though. I will try and check in with you all in about a week or so if I have some down time.

I have been able to at least get my ETSY site up and running. So you can go here to see what I have. I have posted it all on here, but now you can officially buy it without emailing me. I have not gotten everything up yet, but will once I return. Taking good pictures of your products is the hard part. Thank you to my helper for getting my banner up and looking so pinkalicious. My web site is still under construction. But hopefully will be up and working soon. I really appreciate everyone thus far who has bought something from me!! I hope you are enjoying what you bought, because I really enjoyed making it for you.

Here is some really interesting news. I think we are going to host a Chinese Exchange Student starting in August for the school year. She is from the Chongqing Province, she will turn 17 right after she arrives. She will be a sophomore in HS, she came to the US last summer for just a month long exchange. She is in the top 5% of her class of 1000, and she looks darling. Not really sure what prompted this decision, but we are both are very excited, and as we were making the final decision today, we ran into a family at the grocery that is hosting a girl from Thailand who is approx the same age and has been here for most of the school year. Her English was beautiful, and she said it was the opportunity of a lifetime, and that she is having a great time. She said she was homesick the first month, and now she says.....not so much with a BIG grin on her face. She said she even got to go to the Caribbean. The mom said it had been a great experience, and that they would probably host again next year. So that is BIG news around our house. We think it will be a great opportunity for us to learn a lot about Chinese first hand. Hopefully she will be helpful in tutoring us in Chinese; especially helping us with our tones. She says she loves to cook, and hopes to be able to teach us to cook Chinese food. So I think she is going to be a great fit for our family.

So that is about it from Texas. When I return from this trip we are headed to meet a few other adopting families for a weekend in Austin. We are really excited to meet everyone, and I think it will be a lot of fun! So to all that will be there that weekend, we are looking forward to meeting you all. Have a safe trip to the Lone Star State, and don't drink too many margaritas before we get there!!!

So I will look forward to checking on you all. I am hoping to hear that The Singing Bird is on her way to pick the beautiful Emme Lu. So I will be watching your site, and please share the pictures if you do happen to eat any bugs.

Here's to referrals being just around the corner(we hope) and here is to getting into November folks....it is about time. 06' we are coming atcha!

Are you up to the challenge?

2007-03-25T18:20:00.000-06:00

This was a letter written by someone at Love without Bounderies. It was posted on my agency board and found it to be profound. These are all things that I have been planning for, expecting, and trying to learn how to recognize, foster, and resolve. I think that it is truly very difficult for most people to understand what institutionalized life would be like. But I think that Amy spells it out beautifully. The lives that our future children are living are not lives that we would ever desire for them, and would never expose them to if they were home with us. But it is the cold hard reality of their lives, and we must make every effort to understand their lives before us, and to actually respect where they have come from. It really is a hard knock life for them.
If you are adopting, it is your responsibility to educate yourself as if you were preparing for any other life changing moment. We must take to heart that by making the choice to adopt, and to adopt internationally that we are actually the chosen, and we must take that responsibility very seriously, and have a strategy of how you will handle what is ahead. This adoption is not about bringing home your "china doll", staying at the White Swan for your Red Couch photo op, or your Barbie that is given to you when you arrive. This is not about ladybugs & red threads.

This is as serious as it gets. For a lot of us this may be the most serious issue we deal with in our entire lives. I feel like I have one chance to do this right, and I will do whatever it takes to make sure I am prepared for the challenge. If it ends up no a challenge at all....that will just be the icing on the cake.
I personally have done a ton of reading(and will continue for a long time) I am trying to go to as many seminars as I can to educate me and help me be the best"adoptive" parent that I can be.
You are welcome to take this letter and copy it off of my blog.

Below is a letter from Amy Eldridge, from Love Without Boundaries, addressing the recent adoption disruptions and parental preparedness. If you are reading this, think about posting it on your site - a waiting parent who reads your blog may benefit from it.*****I have been so saddened by this situation. I most definitely wish there was a way to educate ALL adoptive parents about the truths of institutional care, however I have come to realize in my daily work that there are just as many parents who are not online reading everything they can find on adoption as are.There are hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of parents out there who have no idea what life is like for a child in an orphanage, and who head overseas to pick up their "China doll" only to be handed a baby who is unresponsive, thin, unable to eat..and on and on and on. While adopting my son last month, I walked several times over to the White Swan to talk to parents, and over and over I spoke with moms and dads who had no clue whatsoever about the issues their kids were having. I heard so many times things like, "she won't eat solid foods" (oral aversion), "she has no muscle tone" (muscle atrophy from lying in a crib all day), "she won't smile" (pure grieving from being taken from her foster mom). I guess since I live China 24/7, I assume everyone adopting does, too, which is not the case.I talked to at least a dozen parents who didn't even know their child's orphanage name, and while I gently said "you might want to memorize that for your child's sake", at the same time I was trying to process how many parents get all the way to China without ever reading about post-institutional issues. It was sobering to me.Babies in the NSN (non special needs) as well as the SN (special needs) path can have issues with attachment, motor skills, emotional issues and more. I think all of us on the WCC (Waiting Children China) list acknowledge that, while also acknowledging that all children (whether bio or not) can have these same issues. Living in an orphanage of course increases the odds.I think the easy out is to say that agencies have to do more, as well as social workers, but I do think that most of them do try to give information to the parents but often parents don't want to hear it or else think it won't happen to them. Again, I am often surprised to talk to parents leaving soon and to realize they are not prepared. One family was adopting from our foster care program, and when I told them that the child was DEEPLY attached to the mom, the father said, "guess she might cry for an hour or so then?" An hour or so? She had been in foster care for over a year! I tried to explain that this little girl was about ready to lose everything she had ever known, and that they should not expect her to be sunny, happy, and full of personality after an hour. I told them to please remember the 72 hour rule.......that after 72 hours they would probably see her spark, but that she would probably grieve for a long time after that as well.I think for many adoptive parents, they just don't want to read the "bad stuff", and so I do think that ultimately it is the parents who are at fault for not doing more to educate themselves. There certainly are books galore out there about post-institutional issues. I equate this to when I was pregnant with my kids and I would read "What to Expect When Expecting", and I would get to the C-section part and always skip it. Each and every time I would jump to the next chapter as "that wasn't going to happen to me". Well, on my fifth baby, when they were rushing me in for an emergency C section, I sure was wishing I had read that section earlier! But at that point in the OR, while they were strapping my hands down to the table, it was too late, and so I felt complete panic when I could have been prepared. I think adoption from China is very similar to giving birth...it is much more rosy to only read the happy stories on APC, but I now encourage every family I meet to read the harder ones as well, because if you are the family who is handed a child that is limp and listless and who looks autistic, what you have learned in the past will help you make the right decision for your family during those very emotional first few days.I have been called many times in the last few years by parents in China worried about their children. I agree that having a support network to help you through the initial time is essential. Everyone should go to China with at least one phone number of someone they can call if they are panicked upon meeting their new child. I remember feeling so alone when I was handed my daughter and she was so tiny and limp. Because our foundation often helps with the kids who have been disrupted, I am aware that sometimes there are children who have much more serious issues than originally reported..and that is such a hard thing for a parent to get to China and then discover their child is truly autistic or has serious mental delays. I think everyone on both the China and international side would agree that it is absolutely wrong of an orphanage to not be honest in their reports, and no one would excuse that, but I also know without a doubt that the majority of kids who are disrupted are just suffering from institutional issues and would catch up quickly in a loving home. It is always a very sad day for the orphanage and everyone involved when a child that they know is absolutely fine, but perhaps thin and grieving, is returned by their new parents for being "delayed".I think far too many people believe their child's life is going to begin the moment they meet them. The truth is, and everyone must realize it..a child's life is going on RIGHT NOW in China, and all of their experiences are shaping who they are. The vast majority of aunties that I have met in China are such kind and caring people, but it absolutely is not the same as having a mom and dad at your beck and call. I have had new parents call and say "we didn't think living in an orphanage would affect her at all", and those statements truly puzzle me. How could they not contemplate life in an orphanage?Walk through Babies R Us and you will see every gadget known to man to make our children's lives here as ideal as possible. Now Americans have two way video monitors, so that when baby awakens not only can mommy see when to immediately rush in and comfort him, but she can talk to baby so that he doesn't even have one single second where he feels alone. How many new parents would have a newborn and then put that baby in a crib 22 hours a day on their own? How many would only feed their baby, even if they were really crying hard, every 8 hours? Or prop the bottle in her crib and then not watch to see if she ever really ate?Of course no one would do that..we feed newborns on demand, comfort on demand, love continuously..and whether people want to recognize it or not, that is NOT the life of an orphan in an institution. ...even when the aunties are as good as gold. I remember one night when I took some volunteers in for the night shift in an orphanage, when normally just a few aunties are working. One mom looked at me with tears in her eyes as she slowly realized that it was absolutely impossible with just two hands to feed every child, to comfort every child, to soothe every baby who was crying. She said her heart was aching to realize that her own daughter most likely had many, many times where she cried without someone to comfort her.....and she told me that for the first time she finally understood why her daughter had such a deep seated fear of being out of her mom's sight.The aunties are trying their absolute best, but that doesn't equal mother/child care. I remember being in an orphanage in the north this past winter and the aunties were so proud of how they had 6-8 layers of clothes and blankets on every baby to keep them warm. They were swaddled so tight that they couldn't move, but it was freezing in the orphanage and so the aunties wanted the babies to stay as warm as possible. What alternative did they have? It really was freezing there..I was cold in my wool coat, so the babies couldn't be up and about with just 1-2 layers on, with the ability to move their arms and legs. To stay warm they had to be immobile, and so of course all of those kids have weak muscle tone. But the aunties were truly trying their best, and when a parent is given one of those beautiful children on adoption day, I am sure they will go back to their room with concern and say "she can't sit up by herself..she can't put weight on her legs". That is absolutely the truth, but she also survived 10 degree weather in a very cold province and she will catch up soon enough with parents to encourage her.To not acknowledge that living in orphanage circumstances can cause lower body weights, low muscle tone, inability to make good eye contact is very sad to me. Can it be overcome? Most definitely! The one thing I have learned over and over again about the kids in China is that they are fighters and survivors. But for some reason, people seem to want to ignore these issues in public forums.Recently, one of our medical babies that we had met several times in person was adopted, and we all knew that this child was a "spitfire". When the family arrived and spent a few days with her, they decided she was too much of a handful for them and they wanted to disrupt. She absolutely was not what they expected. When they called their agency, they were told they had two choices: adopt the child, bring her to the US, and change their expectations of what they were hoping for, or adopt the child, bring her to the US and the agency would have a family waiting at the airport to adopt her locally. Option three of leaving the child in China was never once given. I admire that agency so much, as they were thinking of the child and the child alone. The family followed through with the adoption and handed the little girl to a new family upon her arrival in the US. As horrible and tragic and emotional as it was for everyone involved...I still feel this was the right decision for the agency to make. It was done in the absolute best interest of the child, who had waited a long, long time for a family. I wish more agencies would advocate for the rights of the child, instead of always seeming to give in to the parents, especially in those cases when they know with absolute certainty that nothing is permanently wrong with the child. Recently with another disruption, the agency I spoke with told me that it was "easier" to just get the family a new baby.Sometimes easier does not equal right. The first baby who was rejected has now been labelled "mentally challenged" even though the agency knew the child was really going to be okay.I think all of us, who do realize that delays occur and that babies can usually overcome them, should be these children's advocates by continually trying to educate new parents on what to expect in China. By helping them be better prepared, we just might help stop a disruption in the future. I love Chinese adoption with my whole heart, and it is my life's work..but I also want every family who goes to get their baby to go with their eyes open and to be as emotionally prepared as possible, for the child's sake.

Amy Eldridge,

Love Without Boundaries

Two of the loves of my life

2007-03-24T19:19:00.000-06:00

Here is Jack and Katie, the little apples of my eye. There mom is my oldest dearest friend, more like a sister than a friend. She has blessed me with these two adorable little monkey's. I spent last week with them while they were on spring break. Their mom is having their 3rd child(little Meggie) and has been put on bedrest. As we can all imagine trying to run your entire household, and take care of a 3 & 5 year old from the comfort of your bed is pretty freaking challenging. So Aunt J came to help, and am headed back in just about 10 days. It was non-stop for 5 days, but worth every minute of it when you hear the giggles, the I love you's, and just the sparkle in their little eyes. We saw Disney on Ice(a must see...if you are under the age of 7) We had playdates with Jack's friends(not everyone has well behaved children) Slurpee runs, and a lot of camping out with Mommy to help keep her company.

There were some funny moments as well that might make them think twice about having Aunt J come back to help. The dog(Molly) ate an entire bowl of mashed potatos, and macaroni and cheese in one sitting, and then an entire stick of butter in another. I was given a pardon on this one, as they know I am only use to a dog that is about 20 inches high, and not one that can stand on her hind legs and help herself to whatever tasty treats Aunt J leaves out on the counter. I have now become the apple of Molly's eye, she can't wait for me to return. Then Miss Katie whom I refer to as the "perfect child" was put down for her nap(mind you without crying) and while I did check on her at one point during the 2 hours she was in her room(where she was found to be sound asleep) When I heard that she was awake, and went in to retrieve the cute little pickle, this is what I found!!

Yes, she had found a magic marker, and had gone hog crazy with it. Fortunately for me, and for her room she had spent most of her time working on her body art. It was everywhere, feet(top and bottom) hands, belly, diaper, obviously she looks like a coal miner with that face, and most of her shins were covered as well. She did make it to the dresser, the shutters, and a picture frame, but with luck, and a baby wipe that all came off.
We all had a good laugh, and "the perfect child" has been renamed "The Gremlin"
Yes, I was pardoned again, and told that this was really good practice for all the things my little gremlin would be getting into.

I hate that there is a medical reason that I am having to spend a great deal of time with them, but must say that I love seeing them, love spending time with them, and enjoy every minute with them. We will all look back, and laugh when it is all said and done and we bring home the new little one. So by July I will have 3 little apples.

Some more items I have available

2007-03-24T19:11:00.000-06:00

For your friends with babies on
the way. I have one for the little
prince's on their way too. In blue.
$25 Black or White 100% cotton

The little ballerinas in your life
will love this t-shirt. I have it
in White, Mauve, Yellow
$18 100% cotton

These little mono alligator clips
have become my most popular
item. I have the above colors
available, and can do a single
intial. $10 for the set.

I'm Baaaaaaack

2007-03-24T18:54:00.000-06:00

Celebrating the year of the dog, or for all of the golden
pigs being born this year. $22.50 each. Black or White

Large 3 inch Mono ponies.
$10 Single intial.

Large Poly Shopping bags, great
for the beach or for your grocery
shopping.
$12.50 with Monogram, or family
name.

Business is great, and thank you to everyone that has ordered. I hope you have received your items, and are enjoying them as much as I enjoyed making them for you. If you have any cute pictures of your little ones in their zodiac shirts, and are willing to let me post them, I would love to have them. I love doing these shirts, it really is one of my favorite items.

I have a few new things to add to the site, but this was all this post would take, so I will add some additional photos.

Happy St. Paddy's day

2007-03-16T09:40:00.000-06:00

Happy St. Paddy's Day....tomorrow. I am getting ready to head out of town, and I knew I would not have time to update tomorrow. So hopefully you are getting out the green beer, the corned beef, and cabbage and are headed for a festive day of green, the Irish, and leprechauns.

Just wanted to make sure that you are aware that you can email me to order anything from Pink Polka Dotz. I am still working on a website, I have an ETSY store under construction, and so I will shamelessly have to hawk my goods here until I have both of those up and running. Bear with me until I all of this business stuff ironed out...it is not my forte-I am left handed for goodness sakes, I am a creative one, not a business one. I have a paypal account so it is very easy to order and pay. If you are wanting a different font, or want to choose different thread colors that is very easy to do as well. You just have to let me know.

I am off to KC again, my dear friend who is pregnant with her 3 rd child(sweet little Meggie) was just put on full bed rest, and has a 3 & 5 year old on spring break next week. So Aunt J is coming to rescue the troops and have a more peaceful week at home while mom is going crazy in bed. 2 weeks down 17 weeks to go. I then will go back in April as her father(who lives with her family) needs to have surgery, and that will be difficult when there really isn't anyone to even take him to the hospital. So I again will head off to play Florance Nightingale for 2 weeks in April. So I apologize as updates will be few and far between.

Thanks again to all of the nice people who have been so supportive of this new business. I have had a great response from blogger land thus far. It always is surprising when someone emails me to place an order, but it sure makes me giddy.

Cheers, and make sure you have something green tomorrow....I would hate to have to pinch ya!

In case anyone is wondering...we really are adopting

2007-03-09T18:40:00.000-06:00

Hey, went to the mailbox today, and low and behold there was our BROWN ENVELOPE!!!
What a nice reminder that we really are adopting, and someone other than us actually knows this tiny tidbit of information. I have been wondering for 6 months what it looks like, and never expecting to actually get my hands on one.

I really did not expect to receive this.
It does feel good, because I actually do feel like someone else is aware that we are adopting, and it is not a figment of my imagination. WOW our dossier actually arrived!!! Yeah!

It was dated September 18, 2006 Two days before our LID.

Here are some more cute things!!

2007-03-08T15:11:00.000-06:00

How cute is this little t-shirt? I am telling you that I think this is so cute, and I hope my cyber shower person is as excited as I am about this little shirt.

This little ballerina shirt is pretty cute too! This new job is so awesome, it offers such immediate gratification. It always looks so much cuter than I ever expect. This is one of those things. Thought it would be cute, but can't stand how cute I think the finished product actually is.
These are some packaged ponytail holders.
These are great bags that would be perfect for grocery shopping(very strong) or taking to the beach(waterproof)

Anyway, just wanted to share some of the latest creations. Let me know what you think.

AND NOW FOR YOUR SHOPPING PLEASURE

2007-03-04T10:42:00.000-06:00

Okay, so here are a few of the things I have been working on as of late. These are personalized beach towels. They are a great size for the pool or the beach. 30X60. I have them in hot pink, royal blue, turquoise, bright yellow, kelly green stripe. I think they are the perfect birthday present for just about anyone...everyone needs a beach towel. Everyone that has bought these from me requested the bold block font, and as you can see it looks really good in all caps too(can't do if it is a long name) I think these are really great for kids birthday presents.
These are the two Chinese zodiac t-shirt/onesies I did. You can see one is for the year of the pig(I think that pig is too cute) and the other one is for a little girl that is the Rooster. I can't decide which one I think is cuter, I just think they are adorable, and can't wait to see my little one in hers.
I have white, pale yellow, and mauve long sleeve t-shirts in a variety of sizes(12-18mths-4T) I primarily have black in the onesie style, but have a few t-shirts as well.
These are 100% cotton. It is hard to tell in the pictures, but the stitching is extensive with these designs, they each have over 18,000 stitches. The pictures really don't do it justice.

This was a birthday gift I did for a friend, and I think it turned out really cute. I have a few of these sets if it strikes your fancy.

These are just a few of the key fobs I have done. I have a big variety of ribbon that I will preview once I have the opportunity to take some more pictures.

I just received some Chinese character in the last few days, and I have not had an opportunity to get anything done with them. I will work on those this week. If you have any great ideas please don't hesitate to share. I can use all the good ideas I can get.
I can't believe the response from people already. I was not prepared for the fact that I would have already had so many requests, and purchases. So I am slowly getting up to speed, and trying to get the business end of this all taken care of.

If you have any interest in something posted just send me an email, and I will be happy to talk about pricing, sizes, fonts, or other ideas that you have to incorporate into something you are wanting.
I will try and add some more things in the next couple of days.

Didn't realize it had been so long!!!

2007-03-04T10:11:00.000-06:00

I know, I know, I won't act like I have some amazing excuse for the lag in posting.

But I have had a lot going on lately.

So no excuses, I will just get right to it!

I went to Houston to pick up my MIL and her 2 dogs(Shadow & Banjo) and they came to stay with us for 2 weeks. I have the best MIL of anyone I know. She is so nice, she is friendly, helpful, fun, loves to shop, and actually loves me, and is very excited about the baby!! She was a world of help while she was here, and we only wish she could have stayed a bit longer. She will be back late in the summer to help me start the nursery.

Shadow & Banjo

Both dogs adjusted very well to our house. They loved running up and down the stairs, and back and forth chasing the squirrels in our backyard. Shadow doesn't really travel well, and seems to suffer a little motion sickness while in the car...so she threw up both directions-yuck!! But overall the travel was fine, and a good time had by all.

By the time I took them back home, we had been together for a total of 3 weeks, and she and I had bought pretty much everything there was to buy....some very serious shoppy shoppy went on during those 3 weeks.

I am a very lucky girl to have such a great MIL!!

Yes that is Mike Modano!

While my MIL was here we took her to a Stars game. Now I am not a big sports fan. But I must tell you what happens when I take in a hockey game. I just go crazy, I never sit down. I love hockey, I love the Stars(I loved them better when we still had Darrian Hatcher, and Eddie Balfour) but it is so exciting, so fun, and there is just nothing better when a good legal hockey fight breaks out, and sticks are flying. I really like it when there is a foul, and they stick the player in the naughty box...they should have the naughty box for every sport.

Anyway, we had great seats, great food, and a great time.

The Stars beat the Mighty Ducks 4-0

D & his mom. I don't love this picture of either of them, as it does not do them justice...my MIL is extremely attractive...she is 75 and has less wrinkles than I do!! Yes, D always smirks in pictures(that is why the CCAA will refer us the smirky baby, to match the passport picture he submitted)

I have a secret fantasy....I so want to drive the Zamboni at the hockey game. I have no idea why, but it looks so fun, and they use to have this cannon on there that shot out t-shirts to the crowd...I would really love to do that.

Okay, I have another post to follow to stay tuned, I will have it up in just a little bit, and you are going to be excited, it is really, really, good. So go have a cup of coffee, read the Sun paper, and come back and see me this afternoon!!

Happy New Year!!

2007-02-18T16:19:00.000-06:00

Happy Chinese New Year to everyone.
It's official, Year of the Golden Pig has been rung in, and I am really hopeful that our baby girl is going to be born sometime this year.
I am afraid to think that out loud, and jinx myself.
We went out and enjoyed some lovely warm, and sunny weather today, then we went to our favorite Chinese Restaurant for lunch, and then off to pick-up the baby doll I ordered from Learning Express. I had to laugh when they handed her to me, as she is awfully fair skinned. But the salesgirl pointed out to me that she is positively Asian, as she does have brown almond eyes, and all of the other baby dolls have big round blue eyes.
Regardless, she is very cute, and we now have her first baby doll in hand. This was her New Years gift, we considered new clothes(Chinese Tradition) but she already has so many clothes, and didn't have a baby doll yet.
So while we still have a lot to learn about Chinese New Year, I have been doing some reading, and wanted to include a little info for you in case you are not aware of the importance of this holiday.
Chinese New Year is the longest and most important celebration in the Chinese calendar. The Chinese year 4705 begins on Feb. 18, 2007.Chinese months are reckoned by the lunar calendar, with each month beginning on the darkest day. New Year festivities traditionally start on the first day of the month and continue until the fifteenth, when the moon is brightest. In China, people may take weeks of holiday from work to prepare for and celebrate the New Year.Common expressions heard at this time are: GUONIAN to have made it through the old year, and BAINIAN to congratulate the new year, or Gung Hay Fat Choy to wish a Happy New Year!
There are many celebrations during this time of the year. It last for 15 days, and there are many festivities that go on during this time. The lantern festival must really be spectacular. Lots of red and gold. Lots of fireworks and food, and the dragon dance to scare away the evil spirits.
So this will at least give you a little background info on the significance of this holiday. But there is also major significance that it is the year of the pig. The Chinese consider children born under this sign to be very lucky, and will have much help throughout their lives. So I hope the only luck we get here is the luck of her being born this year, and maybe getting to go get her next year!

On the BWM(big white machine) front, things are going quite well. I have learned a lot, I have embroidered a lot, and I have my first paying customer coming by next week to bring something for me to embroider for her(which is making me sweat, just thinking about it) I still have so much to learn, but I have made some serious progress.
It appears right now that the name of my business is going to be: The Pink Polka Dotz, I have a graphic design artist working on my logo right now, and then I will have my business cards made. I am going to have someone help me with a website soon, but don't think I will be taking orders on it for a few more months. I have ordered some things that I will have available, so I need to wait to get them in before I really start with the on-line stuff.
I will post a few of my things that I have available now, as some of you have posed some interest in buying some things from me. So as long as you can do check or pay pal, I should be able to help you out with some really cute things. The pig picture above is one of the designs I have available, so I will be doing these on some long sleeve children's t-shirts and onesies. I have the entire Chinese Zodiac, and they are all as cute as the others. So bear with me, and I will have some pictures up soon of some products. Leave me some comments on what you think of this design....I think it is too cute. I have also ordered some Chinese characters such as: truth, happiness, love, prosperity, health. So I think I will be able to incorporate these into some really cute things as well.
I really appreciate every one's support in this new business. You all were right in saying that it just takes time, and that I would learn everything I need to know. I am definitely getting there, and can't wait to show you some of the things I have made. I am really having a lot of fun with this now.
So stay tuned, and I will get some pictures up very soon. My MIL is visiting(I have the best MIL in the whole world) but she is here for another week, and then I will drive her back to Houston, and stay a few days. When I get back I will have more time on my hands to get some pictures out there.

Well, enjoy the rest of the weekend. It is a great day because while it is the start of Chinese New Year, it is also the start of The Amazing Race-All Stars tonight on CBS 7 p.m. CST.
Can't wait for it to start, it is 7:00 yet??

Peace Out!

Happy Valentines Day

2007-02-14T05:42:00.000-06:00

Just wishing everyone a Happy Valentines Day!

I personally think this is not a very nice "made up-marketed" holiday. Why would we ever make up a holiday that leaves people feeling blue and left out? I think really only children should celebrate this pretty day of cards, candy, parties, and more candy. I think the pressure should be off adults when it comes to this day. Last night when I was at the grocery store, there were all of these men there trying to pick out flowers, candy, cards, etc. I feel as though there is this giant ball of stress to make sure you pick out the right one for your sweetheart kind of takes the "specialness" out of having this lovable day. I would rather get the special card or something sweet on just a random day of the year to let me know someone appreciates me, not on a manufactured day, when everyone feels a little forced to do so even if they don't necessarily want to.
This is the holiday that I love to make and send cards to my best girlfriends to let them know how much I care about our friendship, and appreciate all that they do for me(mostly because it is so unexpected) I also love to give valentines and sweet surprises to the all the kids in my life. Kids love valentines, and they love to feel so special when given something you have made, and put so much love into. There is no pressure for them, they just cut out a big red heart, sprinkle some glitter, write their name, and it is as though they made us a Picasso. I think we should adopt the same feelings towards our spouses, or significant others, or just our loved ones. I also think that we all have birthdays, anniversaries, and other holidays that the people in our lives can let us know that we are extra special. So I think the need or desire for a dozen of overpriced roses, the biggest box of chocolates, or worse yet, a very pretty box of bling on Valentines Day is a little passe.
So there will be no roses(or any flowers), no candy, certainly no bling. There might possibly be a card, but not much more than a BIG I LOVE YOU said, and maybe we will celebrate with a little skillet queso from Chili's while we watch American Idol tonight. But that will be about the extent of Saint Valentines Day at our house.

But if you love Valentines, and this is your special day for people to say I love you, then please know that I do. XOXO

Finally to all of those marrying in Las Vegas today....you picked a very loving day to wed, and we send you wishes for many years of happiness ahead-LOL