Our Beautiful Daughter

We are so proud to announce our daughter YangXian (still working on her English name, we have it narrowed down to 2 names and will decide soon).

She was born in Quongdong China and is living at the Zhanjiang Ophanage. Her birthdate is 12/24/08. In October 2009 she weighed 16 lbs and was 28 inches long. They said she is active & restless (oh my), fond of playing with toys and listening to music (takes after her mom & dad). Oh and she is a deep sleeper :)

We will travel to China to get her in 4-7 weeks.... Oh I can hardly wait!!!

We have a daugther

Oh my gosh yesterday was the best, most exciting day ever!!! We have a daughter and she just turned 1 year old in December. We are getting all her information today so stay tuned for all the wonderful details!!!!

The rumor is official!

Our adoption agency posted on their website today that they have received matches for 4/3/06 LIDs and they will be calling families TOMORROW!! Oh I just cannot wait until tomorrow I've been floating around today at work like a zombie with all sorts of excitement rushing through my head. I just cannot wait to see my new baby daugther.... Oh I was hoping MAYBE they'd call today... but no such luck. I will have my cell phone glued to me tomorrow and every time it rings my heart will go crazy with excitement. Will post all the lovely details tomorrow!!!!

Rumor has it families with our LID have been matched!

Oh my gosh..... I'm so excited I can hardly stand it. Several adoption agency's have announced that CCAI (China) has matched families with LID through 4/3/06. AND that is our LID. So that means we have been matched with a baby. Now we just have to wait for our adoption agency to receive the package with all the information and then call us and let us know. Oh my goodness, oh my goodness we could be seeing our daughters beautiful face next week sometime!!!!!!!!!

Don and I have been talking about what will do on that day. Cuz we want to see her picture for the first time together. So our agency is suppose to call us (on our cell phone) and let us know they are e-mailing all her information & photo and I'll call Don and we'll leave work (or wherever we are) and meet at home so we can open up the e-mail together. Oh, I've dreamed about this day for 4 long years, I simply cannot wait. I hope there are no delays because I think I will simply go insane having to wait much longer!!!!

I will keep you posted!

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone!

December Referrals

Finally referrals came out on December 2 and March LIDs are complete! I had hoped maybe they would have grabbed a few days in April also, but alas that was not the case. So, with our LID of 4/3/06 we SHOULD be next. But when next is going to come I'm not sure. I'm hoping & praying for January, but lately China has been matching every other month, so that would be February.... ugh! I wish I had a fast forward button. Maybe I should check at Staples, they have the EASY button, maybe they have a fast forward one too, tee hee. I'll just wrap myself up in all the Christmas magic and before you know it - it'll be January! Oh I just can't wait!!!!

Baby's Room

Don & I worked on the baby's room this weekend. We put up the crown molding & painted clouds on the ceiling. Don did a fantastic job on the clouds. I was worried they'd look like white blobs if I did them, but he got up there with the sponge and did a great job. I am just so excited with the way it looks... I think she is going to love her room! So the room is pretty much done now... except for the window coverings. I bought some fabric and pattern to make window shades... but my sewing skills aren't very good, so I haven't even started on them. And today when I looked at the color fabric I purchased, I don't think it will match very well now. I think I'm going to try to find some sort of cordless wood blinds or maybe roman shades.

Long overdue update

I can't believe it has been 3 months since I've update my blog. I guess I've been spending time giving small udpates on my facebook page and have neglected this. Sorry to all my friends and family who keep up to date here.

Well not much good news on the baby front. China didn't make any baby matches in September.. ugh! Apparantly the person that signs off on them was travelling so they couldn't finalize them and send them out. Whatever! Why right before it is our time weird things like this happen.

Our agency finally received some today (10/12/09) but only LIDs through 3/28/09. We are still unsure of when we will receive our match with our LID being 4/3/06. It seems like we should be next but I won't count on it because well... it don't want to be disappointed when it doesn't happen. I have no idea if we'll see some more matches in October or not until November. Don and I have had an ongoing joke that he'll be in China during Christmas. And that may actually happen. From the time we get matched with a baby it takes about 4-6 weeks to finalize travel.. so it could happen. Oh well he doesn't care... all we want to do is get our baby and bring her home so we can love her and take care of her! I just want to know WHEN that is going to happen. This process has about drove me nuts! Someone in my adoption group called it Chinese Torture. That is sure what it feels like.

I do think we should get our match in the batch after this next one. So if they send out more matches in October than our month will be November. But if they don't send out another batch until November, then we'll be December. I'll keep everyone posted!!!

Thanks for all your prayers... they really are helping me get through this. Pray for our daugther also... that someone is taking good care of her, loving her, holding her, playing with her, feeding her when she is hungrey! Some orphanages take good care of their babies, and other's not so good. I pray she is in one of the good ones!

July Referrals

Disappointing month! Only 2 days matched. I am so sad, no chance of a September referral now. The CEO of my company gave me some wise advice today tho. She told me of a group of prisoners of war and how some made it through the horrible ordeal and others didn't. (I'm not saying at all that waiting for our adoption is anything like being a prisoner of war, because it is not). But the prisoners who kept setting a date of when they thought they'd be rescued (for example they would say; "we'll be rescued by Christmas", but that came & went so they'd set another date "we'll be rescued by Easter", etc etc.) and as those dates came & went these prisoners were heart broken and finally gave up and most of them died. But the prisoners who just had faith they would be rescued and didn't set a timeline, were much healthier and able to handle the whole situation better. So, I'm going to try not to set a timeline on this anymore. Cuz that is actually all I ever do. Like the biggest one is I wanted her home by Christmas. So I'm really going to try not to let myself go there. It'll happen according to God's infinite wisdom and I trust in him! Ok I said it but now I got to believe it!!!!

June Baby Referrals

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I'm getting so anxious! I feel like we are so close but yet still so far away... since we don't know how many referrals will be made over the next couple of months! This month China made referrals to LIDs through 3/20/06. Our LID is 4/3/06. There are only 14 days of LID's between us and our referral. I'm thinking, hoping, praying September 2009 will be the month we get our referral, but trying not to get my hopes up too much cuz it will be such a let down if it doesn't happen. I have so many emotions going through my head right now... excitement, anticipation, joy, fear, anxiety. Lord I know you will help me through these next several months. I'm so thankful I have you to lean on!

May Baby Referrals

Wow, what a rough month this has been. Rumors that referrals weren't going to be sent out again until September 2009. Have had some dark moments of just want to give up. But, God is good and he has helped me through the month. Also, wonderfully supportive friends and family. And the good news is May referrals were received today. Congrats to all the families out there who are seing their little ones faces for the first time! I think our turn will come in September, if things continue at this pace. What an end of the summer present that will be!!! I can't wait!

April Baby Referrals

Well only a couple more days this month. China made referrals for March 7th & 8th. There are lots of rumors that more babies are going to be available for adoption and things should speed up. But I'm not getting my hopes up. It is just to hard to get all excited and then only see 2 days of LID's rerferred babies. There are only 27 days of LIDs between us and our baby. I'm just hoping it doesn't take all of 2009 to get there! Our agency says we should have a referral by Fall so that is what I'm counting on.

The Shack

My husband and I love to read. Although the subject of our reading greatly varies. He likes scary, weird books (Stephen King), while I like books about puppies, sunsets & rainbows with happily every afters. I've been reading "The Cat Who" book series by Lillian Jackson for several years. I almost have all of the series. They are mystries but not scary or too graphic. It is the perfect read for times when you don't want to really think to much, just enjoy a stroll through a book. I also like Self-help books or books that will help me grow closer to God.

Anyway, my hubby is always trying to get me to read a book he's just read and says how good it is. And the bad/scary (or whatever) parts aren't that bad. I try to tell him I just don't like to read about serial killers, mass murders and such. For some reason my brain hangs on to that morbid info and thinks about it and dwells on it until it's got me all wigged out. So the last 3 books he has asked me to read I have politely said ok.. and then put aside hoping he wouldn't notice.

So the other night, my husband just finished reading The Shack. He just went on and on about what a good message it had. He said I just have to read it. So I started asking some questions about it. It is a christian fiction story, based losely on factual events. And the story starts out where a father's daughter is kidnapped and murdered by some serial killer. He tries to tell me that that is just a small part of the book...........well that is horrible, why would anyone want to read a story like that. But he really thought I would like the message of this book and really wanted me to read it. So since I've said no to so many others, I thought I will read it for him. So today I got to the part where the daughter was kidnapped & murdred. And I have been crying ever since, and I have a sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach. WHY am I so sensitive. I know this kind of thing happens in life, but why when I get into a story about it I am so affected by it. This tragedy happens while they are camping. Something we do every summer... I immediately think "well we are never taking our daugther camping". What a mess a book can make of me... I really hope this story is worth the way I feel right now. I'll keep you posted.

Thankful Thursday...

Today I am thankful for my job :)

Especially with so many people without jobs and struggling to pay bills and care for their families, I am thankful we both have jobs. Even though there are times when my job makes me want to run screaming from the building, those times are few a far between. The last year has been challenging with my boss going out on maternity leave and then deciding to quit to stay home with her new baby (lucky her!). Luckily before she went out on leave we hired another person to work in our office, if I had to get through this last year alone.. I would have never of made it. My new co-worker, Diana, is wonderful. She is so smart and funny and fun to work with. We have really leaned on eachother and that got us through some tough spots. I actually work with a lot of wonderful people. It makes going to work fun! That dosesn't mean I don't secretely dream that I'd win the lottery and not have to work... Cuz I would quit if I didn't have to. Then I could stay home and take of our daugther full time. Hmmm... maybe that is why our adoption has gone through yet... maybe I'm going to win the lottery and become rich and get to stay home with her! Wow, I better start buying lottery tickets!!!

As for the adoption, things moved forward a little more this month. More than last month, but not as much as I'd like it too!!! China has match babies to parents who had their paperwork logged into China through March 6, 2006. So we are so close to our log in date of April 3, 2006. Only 27 days of log in dates between me and my baby.... Not sure how long it is going to take to get through those 27 days... But I'm still hoping for early fall 2009.

Happy Valentines Day

I am so blessed to have such a wonderful husband. He knows just how to make me feel loved. I woke up Saturday morning to breakfast in bed. Yummy Blueberry Belgian Waffles and OJ. And then when I went downstairs he had this beautiful flower arrangement on the table. With cards from him and all my "kids". Plus a cute little musical bear. He knows how much I love Gerber Daisy's (we had them in our wedding) and I loved the unique one in front that was both yellow & red. I hadn't ever seen one like that before. We had a wonderful day! We went to a late lunch/early dinner at Red Robin (trying to avoid the crowd... didn't really work). After dinner we went home to watch the movies I had rented (Fireproof & Madagascar II). Fireproof was pretty good... A little stressful in the beginning because of how mean they were to each other. But had a good message & ending. And we loved the original Madagascar and I was excited to see the sequel. It was really good! Don thought it was even better than the original! We liked it so much we watched it again on Sunday. I guess we are just big kids at heart. I can't wait to watch these types of movies with our daughter!

Thankful Thursdays

I got this idea (Thankful Thursdays) from a fellow blogger. I have also been doing some reading about the secret behind joyful people. It seems joyful people concentrate on the things they are thankful for in their lives rather than focusing on the problems and disappointments. What great advice. I bought the plaque above at a christmas bazaar last year. My mom an I went to see my sister who lives about 1 hour away. It was such a fun day... we went to several bazaars and had lunch and just had some fun girl time! When I saw this plaque I though it was a perfect reminder to remember there is always something to be thankful for. Even when things in your life aren't going the way you want them to.

The funny thing is... I was sitting on my couch this last Sunday and I looked at the plaque and read it. And I was surprised to see the word "Always" written on it twice. Who added the second "always"??????? I could swear when I bought this plaque it didn't have the word "always" twice in a row!!!!!!!! When my hubby got home I asked him and he said the same thing. It was a little freakie. It's funny what your mind thinks. Did someone change it??? That is impossible! Is it a sign that I'm not being thankful (because lately I've been focusing on what I don't have rather than being thankful for what I do). Is God trying to make a point with me??? Well, we'll never know! I guess I'll just remember to be thankful!

Things that make me smile... Part II

Picturing our daughter in her nursery. We had this cool mural painted for her. Her name will be painted just above the crib when we finally decide on one.

Seeing my two little kitty-koo's just barely waking up and peaking out of their box when I come home after work.

My mom-in-law and her hyperactive puppy, brandy.

Things that make me smile :)

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My cute little princess curled up on her special camping chair. She is much to prim and proper to lie on the ground like a dog :) (Her Grandpa made her this)





















Watching my cute lovebug Jake playing with his Frankie Pheasant that he got for christmas.













The yummy mini apple Pie's my wonderful husband made for me on Saturday!!!!

It's a gloomy day inside & out

Well.... news on adoptions matches was bad. Especially since so many of us had our hopes up that things were suppose to improve & we expected a higher than normal amount of matches. But, only 2 days of waiting parents got their matches this month. Congratulations to those families who have been waiting so long. That is an all time low! Funny how we expected high numbers and we got lower than low numbers. Woe is me. I'm feeling very tired of all this anticipation and yearning for our baby. We decided to adopt in August 2005. And now over 3 years later still we don't have our baby. I have this large empty space in my heart that just hurts right now. My hopes have been dashed so many times over the last 3 years, I just feel like giving up. The January winter weather isn't helping either. It has been dark & cloudy for 2 weeks. I think the sun is still up there, just haven't seen it for 2 weeks.
God - I know you have a plan... I'm not liking it it, but you have infinite wisdom and know what is best. So I pray that you help me get through this wait, show me what you are trying to accomplish in my life through this trial. Help me put my trust in you and not the ways of this world. Thank you for all the blessings in my life (my husband, my fur babies [Jake, Faith, Rocky, Sawyer], my sister, my home, my job, my family & friends) In Jesus precious name... Amen.

Trying not to get Excited!

There is rumor buzz buzzing around on the China adoption front that things are going to speed up. I've heard this so many times before that I have told myself not to get excited. Because I just get let down when it doesn't happen. But everyone is getting excited and hoping that their is going to be a large referral batch this month. It is hard to not get my hopes up when everyone else is celebrating with joyfulness & excitement. So, yes I'm caught up in it. I can hardly wait now to see what happens. China will be closed down for chinese New Year the last week of January. So we are all speculating that baby matches will happen next week!! Oh I pray for all us mommies & daddies out there that want our little babies in our arms so badly. I pray we do see some improvement in the amount of babies that are matched with parents starting this month. Their are so many orphans in china that need to be with their forever family and not living in orphanages without the love of a family. I'll keep you posted!!!