MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

30 months today.......

Hi all,

Well today we have officially been logged in for our daughter from China for 30 months. I can say we have had many ups and downs over the past 30 months. It's been an experience of will, faith, and patience. All have been tested -- many times over. I guess that God has a lesson to teach us on this journey -- we just don't know what it is -- and maybe never will. All we can be sure of is that out daughters are in China. And we know in our hearts and deep in our souls that this is true.

Last week we had the highest and lowest point of this 30 month journey happen within 4 days of each other. We are still trying to understand it all. And just like God's other life lessons we might not ever understand the reasons or why it all happened. I can say that our faith in this adoption is as strong as ever. We know in our hearts that in the end everything will work out just how God planned it.

We know that 2009 will bring much joy and peace to us. We only wish this and everything else good for you and your families this holiday season.

Much love,
Sherry

29 months and counting.......

Today our dossier has been logged in with the CCAA for 29 months. Wow. I can't believe we have been waiting for our referral for that long. Some days it doesn't seem like it can possible be that long -- then I count the months in my head -- ok, so I might also use my fingers too. Then it hits me -- and it's real again. That's a long time.

29 months -- 2 years and 5 months -- approximately 880 days -- 10,000+ tears -- countless hopes for a speed up.

1 baby crib -- 1 dresser full of clothes -- 1 shelf full of blankets -- 2 closets full of clothes -- 3 stacks of cubes full of toys -- 12 storage boxes full of clothes -- 1 large tote of little girl shoes -- countless boxes of misc. baby stuff -- still holding on to our dream that someday we'll have 2 baby girls to call our own.

So today is another milestone on our journey to becoming parents. We still have all our hope, all our dreams, and all our wishes for becoming a family.

Today there will be no tears -- today I will be strong -- today I have hope -- hope that we'll soon see our daughter's face.

We are at peace with the decisions we have made to bring our girls home -- now we just have to trust in those decisions and in China and in our agency --- but most of all we trust in God and that he will bring our girls home to us -- in His time not ours.

Bittersweet

I had a few friends get some very wonderful news this past week about their adoptions. I'm so very happy for them -- they get to bring their babies home in early 2009 and one even in 2008. It is just so wonderful since they have all been waiting as long as we have.

So if they are reading this -- and they know who they are -- I'm over the moon for all of you!!!! And can't wait to follow your journeys to bring your boys and girls home. And I'm so blessed that I get to be a part of it. It makes my heart swell with love for all of you.

Friday I went out to mailbox around 1pm and on the front door and the brick around the door there were 11 LADYBUGS!!! It had been in the 30s the 5 days before Friday - but on Friday it was in the high 50s and the sun was shining and the good news was flooding in at the same time. It was another sign. Maybe it's a sign that 11 people will get good adoption news that I know. Or maybe the sun was just shining the brightest on my front door. I'll never know -- but my hope is more good news for all my friends adopting.

Love you all!

Another month closer.......

Today's the 19th again. The 19th is always bittersweet. A reminder that we are another month closer to our daughter and a reminder of how long we have been waiting ----- 28 months today. Or 2 years and 4 months. In reality it doesn't mean much -- since I'll wait 36 or 42 or even 60 months to bring my baby home. It does make for a long winter and holiday season with just counting down the days and months instead of counting the days we have been a family or how many teeth she now has or how many nights it's been since I've had more than 3 hours of continuous sleep. But, I know in my heart that those things to count will be here soon.

To all my June buddies waiting with me --here's a toast to our health, our friends, our spouses and family who listen to us whine about the wait, and to another month closer to sleepless nights.

Right now the CCAA is up to and including February 15th, 2006 with sending out referrals. We are June 19th, 2006 -- so we have 4 months and 4 days ahead of us. Please pray that 2009 will be our year.

I got our 2 year LID anniversary garden all completed two weeks ago. Sonny got all the dirt in, and put the mulch down the week the plants and bulbs all came in the mail. I waited a couple of days to do the planting because it was going warm up a bit in a few days. I got everything planted after spending way too much time deciding where everything should go. I got it all done and was so proud that I got it done and had thoughts of how great it would look in the spring. Then it happened. I'm sure it happened as soon as I went in the house or maybe it was the next day while I was at work. Those pesky little squirrels came and started to dig up my bulbs and steal them. I'd check out the garden area every couple of days and there would be more holes dug. Then on Thursday they left the evidence -- bold thefts that they are -- they left a bulb on top of the mulch --- just sitting there to mock me. I stuffed in into one of the holes they left and threw some dirt on it. Then I came in the house to stew some more about it. But, there is no way those bratty little squirrels are going to win this one. I did some searching on the internet and found these metal bulbs cages. But, they were $19 a piece. Are they crazy!!!! I did some more searching and decided that Sonny can make me something close enough to the cages for $19 to keep my bulbs safe from the snacks they have become. So I ordered new bulbs yesterday -- assuming that all of mine are now gone. And they we went to Home Depot and bought some metal landscape cloth. We got a small roll of it for $9. Once the new bulbs arrive I can replant everything --- again --- and then I can take some pictures of it -- since I forgot last time. That will also be my evidence against the squirrels that the garden did look nice for the second time.

Wish me luck on trying to keep my bulbs safe from becoming squirrel snacks.....again.
:)

Sherry

Another Anniversary

We are 27 months closer to bring our baby girl home. It can't be too much longer.....can it? I know --- I know -- in due time. Someday I'll know what that really means.

At least I can smile today about it.
And be thankful for what I have and what's to come.
That's always helpful and a good thing to remember before going to bed.

Nite.

~ Until next time.

Passing on some good news!

Drea -- my friend - from Canada -- left this morning for China to pick up her daughter!!! She gets Mia on Monday.

Here's her blog link: http://andmiamakes3.blogspot.com/

I'm so excited for them and can't wait to see the pictures of her.


I've been absent for a few weeks. Lots going on -- but nothing exciting. I wanted to post on 9/11 but didn't really know how to put my thoughts into words. As I was driving to work the radio station I was listening to where playing 9/11 related songs -- then about 1 mile from my house I saw the first flag at half-staff --- I lost it driving to work. I should have turned the radio off but I thought it was good to remember and turning the radio off would have made it too easy to forget.

I was going to blog about my baby boy -- Thunder -- but couldn't bring myself to talk about it. He's been very sick since the beginning of summer. We have spend more money on tests than I care to admit. But, he's our baby boy so the money doesn't really matter -- well it does but..... He had a cancerous tumor removed last Tuesday from under his arm. The vet called this week with the biopsy results -- it was some kind of a contained cancerous tumor so hopefully he'll bounce back to his old self soon. He also had 5 fat tumors removed. So he looks like a patchwork puppy with all the shaved patches.

Sonny has the new flower box built -- sorry no pictures yet. He was going to get the dirt this past weekend but since Ike's rain decided to visit -- the dirt didn't happen yet. It rained during the night on Friday, all day on Saturday and part of the day on Sunday. We had over 5 inches of rain last weekend - with most of it coming on Saturday morning.

Not much else going on. Looking forward to following Drea's 2 weeks in China. It renews my spirit that I'll get there someday.......soon.

Have a great week!