Hubby's Masterpiece

I just wanted to share the beautiful bookcase Don created for our baby's room. C had an idea of what she wanted and D being the great mind reader he is, created this awesome bookcase. He designed and built it from scratch and it matched perfectly of what I pictured in my head. Our baby's room is so ready for the baby now. I'm formulating a letter to China in my mind...

"Dear China- The bookcase is done so please send us our daughter!". Hmm wonder if that would speed things up a little. Haven't heard any news on how many matches they made this month yet. I wish they'd hurry up, I look forward to this time each month in anticipation. I wish I could just avoid that whole scene and just pretend I didn't have access to that info and when it was our turn well we'd get the call. But I can't so I'll just look forward to the beginning of each month and sometimes I'll be happy (cuz they match a bunch of days), but most of the time I'll be sad (cuz they only match a few days).

In Loving Memory of my Grandpa

Our family lost a great man yesterday. My Grandpa will be greatly missed! He was one of those guys who would give you the shirt off his back. He was always helping his kids and grand kids if they ever needed anything. And his stories… He always had a good story to tell us or a joke. He loved his family and was truly excited when anyone came to visit…. Cuz he loved to talk. Even though he has had breathing problems for a long time and has been on oxygen for over a year he never complained and always had a smile on his face. Don’s softball teams #1 fan will be truly missed. He loved coming out to the ball field in the summer. When it got too hard for him to walk that far, my awesome father-in-law picked up a wheel chair so we could push him out there! He brought joy to so many people because he was always so friendly and could strike up a conversation with anyone.

I’m so saddened that our daughter won’t get to know her wonderful great grandpa.

I should know better!

For some reason I had high hopes that this month that there were going to be alot of referrals from China. Nobody told me this, I just had a feeling. I fought this feeling, but it just kept coming back. So I was on pins & needles to see how many days were referred this month.. every day checking my adoption agency website and reading the rumor websites. Well referrals came through yesterday and it totally bursted my bubble. They referred the normal amount of 5 days of LIDs. Well at least that is what is speculated. We have gotten the official word yet. But the unofficial words is 2/20/06. Ugh! I really was feeling pretty bad last night. I know we are getting so close, so I shouldn't be feeling bad... But I would just like to see things go a little better than normal for a change. Another issue that added to my dissappointment is that I am sponsoring a foster child in China right now and she is turning 12 months old this month and I'm wondering... "Why hasn't she been adopted?". There are so many of us waiting and waiting and there is this gorgeous little sweet princess that needs a forever family and she remains in foster care. Don't get me wrong I'm glad there are foster parents in China careing for these girls, but let's get them to there forever mommies & daddies SOONER than later. I decided to ask about this from the agency I am sponsoring her through. Maybe there is a perfectly good reason. I will update more on that when the get back to me. Bye for now!

Trip to the Beach

We went to the Oregon coast for a 3-day getaway with my mom and her boyfriend. We were hoping my sister & hubby could come to, but it didn’t work out for them to come. It was a l-o-n-g drive from here to Manzanita, OR… 6 long hours in the car. I think that is the thing I hate most about going someplace. I wish I could be like our dogs and just crash in the back seat and sleep the trip away. Or even if I could read or do a craft of something… but I have horrible motion sickness and every time I’ve tried that I’ve ended up regretting it! We rented a house on the beach. We found one that was dog-friendly so I was a little worried about how clean it would be… but it was great. It was clean & homey. It had huge windows that looked out over the ocean and a big deck. The weather was beautiful and sunny. It was a little cool, but I expected that so brought lots of warm clothes. On Saturday my mom & jim went to play golf and Don and I rented 3-wheeled fun cycles and rode around on the beach. It was a good workout! Especially trying to maneuver these things with a dog on a leash. Saturday afternoon I just sat in a cozy chair and enjoyed watching the waves roll in. It was sooo relaxing! The trip went far too fast! And then the l-o-n-g drive home L But it was worth it, I had a wonderful time! It was fun to watch the kids on the beach building sandcastles & playing in the sand & just have a good time. I can’t wait until we can share that with our daughter. We will definitely be planning another trip next spring and hopefully my sis & her hubby will be able to come. I think it would be fun to plan an annual family trip to the beach.

Good News from USCIS

We have been told for the last 6 months or so from our adoption agency that when our petition for adoptions through USCIS (United States Citizen & Immigration Services) expires (2/09) and we haven't finalized our adoption (we more than likely won't have), that we'll have to apply through a new process and new form. This was going to cost more money in homestudies, background clearances, physicals & 10 hours of additional parenting training. But the adoption community banded together and started a petition to allow all of us who started are adoption process before the rules changed (in April 2008) to be 'grandfathered' in under the old rules. I signed the petition and e-mailed our state senator & congressmen. And WOW, it really works. USCIS announced today that all parents who started there adoption before April 2008 (we started ours in January 2006) to be grandfathered in under the old rules. What great news for so many parents that have been waiting and waiting and waiting. Having to renew immigration paperwork several times before our adoptions are finalized. This is what America is all about. Speaking out and making change! Thanks to everyone who was behind this effort. Now we can proceed with our adoptions without having to redo a lot of work we've already done.

Final Camping trip of the summer

What a fun trip we had to Lake Mayfield last weekend, four fun-filled days. The weather was beautiful and it was so relaxing. Only a couple minor glitches... Our little Beagle, Faith, got a bladder infection on the second day we were there so she had to pee all the time.. even in the middle of the night. I guess it is good training for getting up with a baby :) But, fortunately with a baby I wouldn't have to take her outside in the pitch black up in the mountains where who knows what kind of wild beasts were lurking in the shadows!! I know what imagination I have. BUT... we were attacked by a wild beast on our last night there! We were all (me, Don, Grandma & Grandpa Staggs, Jake & Faith & Brandy) were taking a walk about 9 pm. We saw a heard of deer off in the distance and we were trying to see them.... When all of the sudden a rabid cat jumped in front of us and it was hissing and screaming and then it jumped on poor little Faith. I was holding Faith's leash and I started pulling to get her away from that crazy cat. It finally let go and ran off with Don chasing it. Poor Faith cried for what seeme like 5 minutes after the cat ran off. She is such a little princess and she was so scared. I took her back to the trailer and cleaned up her ear where it bit her or scratched her or something. I think she was glad when we got home... it wasn't one of her favorite trips. On the other hand.. Jake had the time of his life. although he has fun no matter what he does. He loves the water and got to swim in the lake for hours on Saturday. He looks so funny when he is wet.

When we got home we got the news about referrals for October. CCAI made referrals up to 2/16/08. Another 7 days, not too shabby. I can see the end of this tunnel. Don't want to get too excited yet, alot can still happen. There were rumors that this tainted milk incident my affect referrals. My heart has been so saddened by the formula that the babies were being fed in China that was tainted with that Melamine. How can a company make something that would poison babies! I just don't understand the way people think. I pray for all the babies in China and that have been adopted that may have been exposed to this milk... that God protects them from any ill affects. Our adoption agency is contacting the Orphanages they work with to find out who used this formula so they can warn potential parents who adopt from there to have their babies tested. It is scary not to know if our baby has been born yet and may be exposed to this formula. I just pray she hasn't been born or at least wasn't given any of that formula.

October is going to be a busy month. Going to Seattle to visit my wonderful Grandma Marybelle this weekend and the 18-20th we are going to the OR beach with my mom & her boyfriend. That will be so much fun. And we have lots of stuff to wrap up around our property before winter. Don is finishing our sidewalk this weekend and hopefully finish our fence this month. Then we will start on finishing the nursery. So it will be all ready for our little China Angel!

Woo Hoo!

The CCAA made referrals for a whole 9 days this month. That is more than they've done in a long time. Although part of those days they were closed in 2006 due to Chinese New Year. I just hope and pray that they will continue at that rate. Let's see if they keep doing 9 days a month, and there are 54 days between 2/9 and our LID 0f 4/3.... We would have our baby referral in 6 months!!! That would be in March 2009. That still seems like a long ways away... but I'll take sooner than later!!