Our beautiful adoption story

The Joy of Kids

2012-02-15T21:13:00.002-06:00

A 10 pack of Play-doh on Amazon? $8.

The look on your husband's face when he comes home and notices the "new" multi-colored polka dot carpet? Priceless.

There are some things money can't buy. For an anxiety-free life, there's Xanax. :)

Snow Angel

2012-02-14T20:44:00.002-06:00

We've had such a dry winter that I thought we'd better get Miss Maggie out in the snow before it melts. Our little girl wasn't too excited about it but she still looked like an angel.

Pinkalicious Princess Party

2012-02-13T22:16:00.000-06:00

It's my party and I'll pout if I want to.

We threw a birthday party for Miss Maggie yesterday. She turns a year old tomorrow. She wasn't too keen on the cake so someone else decided to help her devour some of it. Maggie Rose did enjoy the ice cream.

Liam: the pink cake eater.

Happy Birthday beautiful girl. We love you!

Family Pictures

2011-11-02T04:57:00.000-06:00

Wow, the last month and a half have been so busy. One of these days I'll actually catch up with posts. For now, I wanted to share some pictures of my kiddos. We took our family picture for Christmas a couple of weeks ago. It just gets easier the more kids you have - NOT. Jack refused to have his picture taken. He also insisted on sitting on a stool like mom and dad. Can we say bribe, bribe, bribe? Liam didn't want to sit still. Maggie - she's still young and did a great job.

All of our eyes are open!

My big four-year-old.

A rare picture of Liam sitting still. He looks like such a little big man.

My precious princess.

Her eyes and smiles will melt your heart.

Tired Of Us Already

2011-10-06T01:00:00.002-06:00

We are taking the boys to daycare while Maggie adjusts to life at home. Yesterday morning as I was getting the boys ready, Jack asked if he was going to stay with Dixie, his daycare provider like the boys had while we were in China. My voice oozing with comfort, I told him that no, we were going to pick him up that evening. After all, we are done with our China adventures. "No!" he cried. "You need to go to China and adopt another brother and sister!"

Well, I really don't think that's going to happen but it was cute and a little sad that he insisted we needed to leave the country when I thought he was concerned that we wouldn't pick him up that evening.

China Adoption Travel Tips

2011-10-05T21:08:00.001-06:00

Lion at Victoria's Peak, Hong Kong

It's an exciting time for the remaining families in my Yahoo China Adoption group. Several are scheduled to leave for China this week! Last week, the others received matches for their beautiful children. I'm so excited for them. These are some tips I'd like to share with those who may still be planning their trip.

1. If you can afford to, bring extra money. With the US economy being in the tank, we owed more money for the orphanage fee. Also, our guides wanted us to tip bus drivers and even the hotel staff in Guangzhou, including housekeeping. Originally, we were told that tipping wasn't necessary. Also, tours are extra (of course), so that will factor into what you spend.

2. If your entry port isn't Beijing, leave a few days earlier (if you can afford it.) I wish we had done this. The sights we saw in Hong Kong, excluding Victoria's Peak, were not that exciting, definitely not the beginning I had imagined for our trip. I can't believe we flew all the way to China and didn't see the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square or the Forbidden City.

3. If you're single or the only person of a couple traveling, please bring a support person. You're going to need it. There was a person in our group who came by herself and I know it was a struggle for her to manage her child and everything else that was going on - luggage, etc. Sometimes it really does take a village. Mike and I were blessed to have three people on our team. My mom was an amazing help.

4. If you have two rooms and you "think" you have late-day check-outs for both rooms, double check. In Guangzhou, mom received a call in the early afternoon "reminding" her that she needed to check out of the room or be charged an extra day. That information was never shared with us prior to the trip. All of a sudden, we were scrambling to more everything from mom's room into our room. That was some extra craziness we didn't need on the day we left for Hong Kong.

5. Bring a small packet or two of formula with you on Gotcha Day. We had some Enfamil packs but they were at the hotel because we thought we would be given formula that morning. We discovered that the last time Maggie had been fed that day was at 6:30 in the morning. We received her between 10:30 and 11. Although I thought promotional material for our agency said they provided the baby with their first can of formula, this was not the case. Right after our Gotcha moment, we took a trip to a local super market to buy formula. However, Maggie was heavily crying before we reached the hotel because she was so hungry.

6. Our agency promised that staff provides water at each stop, so at each city. We received this at two of our stops, the first in Hong Kong after I commented how thirsty we were. If I hadn't said something, we probably would not have been offered this. In Changsha, our guide said she had never heard of this policy. So, I e-mailed our agency. In Guangzhou, water was waiting for us on the bus when we arrived. If the guides don't have water when you meet them, ask about it. If they act confused, e-mail the agency. I get upset when agencies/companies promise things and don't deliver. Hopefully, the next family who stays in Hunan will get everything that is promised to them.

7. If you are in a taxi and get hit by a vehicle, don't be upset if the taxi drivers orders you out of the cab and away from the scene right away. This happened to Mike and one of our adoptive parent friends. Mike learned from a friend who is from China that if the two had been at the scene when the police arrived, they may have had to stay in the country longer for the investigation, legal process. What had been considered rude bheavior was really a time saver.

Na, Na, Na, Na, Na, Na

2011-10-04T20:23:00.001-06:00

It's Batman and his sidekick, Tiger.

The Tiger outfit Liam's birth family bought fits him perfectly. He just needs a tail. :)

Batman Jackie, the fierce defender.

His loyal buddy.

And little Boo who may be a ladybug if the oufit grandma bought fits for Halloween. Otherwise, she'll just have to be a precious baby girl.

So The Story Goes...

2011-10-04T02:07:00.000-06:00

Liam loves technology and just about everything else he shouldn't have his hands on. He especially loves phones. Tonight, Liam got a hold of our phone. We grabbed it from him before he dialed the White House or 911. It was a time to bring up the important 911 subject with Jack.

Me: "Jack, you call 911 when you need to get a hold of a police officer, ambulance or fire truck."
Jack patiently listening.
Me: "So, if mommy falls, is sick..."
Jack: "Or is dead."

Uh, what?

Me: "Why would mommy be dead?"
Jack: "Because you spank my butt too much."

Okay, so I do spank him sometimes although I prefer to use that as a last ditch effort. For example, when I've entered his and Liam's room three times during nap time to tell him to stop hitting the wall with his feet so he and his brother can go to sleep. Usually, tone of voice or timeout is the preferred choice of discipline. We did a lot of timeout yesterday.

So, here begs the question, where do we go for therapy now that the Oprah show is gone? :)

Pictures from Gotcha Day

2011-10-03T01:30:00.000-06:00

Look at my baby girl - so tiny!

A wee bit emotional - I'd been waiting for this moment for a long time.

Yep - we're in love.

Checking us out.

A Welcome Home Gift

2011-10-03T01:12:00.000-06:00

When we returned to our house on Thursday, we had to sift through tons of mail (lots of junk) that we had put on delivery hold while we were gone. But there was also a package from Fisher Price. Hmm...Mike said he knew what it was but I wasn't convinced. Perhaps I had ordered something before we left and somehow forgotten about it?

Before we left for China, I wrote Mattel and asked if there was a way I could purchase the "Going Home" Barbie. This Barbie features a Caucasian mommy with Asian baby. Adoptive parents used to received this set when they stayed at the White Swan hotel in Guangzhou. However, the hotel is being renovated so we did not get to stay there during our trip. I was very sad when I learned this. The White Swan and "Going Home" Barbie are a regular part of the China adoption process. I wanted Maggie to have a doll set that resembled our relationship.

Imagine my surprise when I opened up the box and found this. Thank you Mattel/Fisher Price!

Hanging in there

2011-10-03T01:02:00.000-06:00

Saturday night/Sunday morning was the first time since the trip that I woke up and realized right off the bat that I was not waking up in a hotel. Now if I could just get Maggie to sleep through the night. She has been up 3, 4? times already. I'm so tired, I lose count. She always manages to take a doo doo around midnight. She wanted to sleep through it tonight but I knew it would be massive so I got her up and changed her diaper.

Wow - my blog has become all about sleep and poopy diapers. Nice.

Jet Lagged

2011-10-01T02:25:00.000-06:00

Wow - this jet lag and missing out on sleep over a 24 hour period is rough. Plus, Maggie has her days and nights confused. After all, she took naps on the plane, but we didn't get that much rest. I still wake up sometimes and wonder which hotel we're in, then it slowly dawns on me that we are in our own comfortable (and soft!) beds.

Watching and listening to Mike wake up can be quite comical. I guess he's a deeper sleeper than me. Last night, he asked where the light was. Tonight, after I asked him to make a bottle, he said, "I was going to go to the bathroom. I guess I'll go downstairs." (We only have one level.) Then I had to direct him towards the bedroom door so he could find the kitchen. He still managed to stumble into the door. Once he saw our hallway, it dawned on him where he was. I waited until he left the room before I burst out laughing.

I still can't believe we're home. Jack was pretty excited when we picked up the boys. Liam was a bit confused. It was heart breaking. There was no way I could fully prepare a 14 month old for our long trip. I hear even Jack had his moments. Once we arrived home, I think it started clicking for Liam who we were and where we were. He started checking out all their toys. We kept both boys home from daycare today so we could spend it as a family. Liam came more out of his shell. Mike said he even saw Liam give Maggie a hug. Of course, Liam also lightly hit Maggie's face one time. Mostly though, he pats her head and feels her face like a blind person feels an object for the first time.

If I keep waking up at 3 in the morning, I will eventually start posting pictures of our trip!

Back Home!

2011-09-29T09:14:00.000-06:00

Praise be to God we made it back safely last night. I was so grateful when we touched down in St. Louis. We are all a little exhausted and could probably sleep for the next 24 hours but that's not going to happen. Eventually, we'll catch up. Hopefully, I'll have time to post more about our experiences in China during my time off from work.

We are picking up our boys later. I miss them so much. Once I get them in my arms they may need to work real hard to get themselves back out.

We are grateful for your prayers.

Changsha Update

2011-09-22T17:20:00.000-06:00

I keep meaning to update my blog at night but tend to fall asleep when Maggie does at 8:30 p.m. I have her crib next to my bed and try to hold her hand through it. A half hour later I wake up and realize that I'm too drained to attempt to make sense on the blog.

Some updates...

On Wednesday evening we went to one of my dad's favorite restaurants - Pizza Hut! And it was much better than back in the states - less sauce, more cheese. Dad, I told you to join us. :)

On Thursday we headed to Martyr's Park a place dedicated to the revolutionists. We saw demonstrations of tai chi, women singing, koi fish and beautiful bridges. Afterwards, we went to the Hunan Embroidery Research Institute China Hunan Embroidery Museum. Embroidery goes back 2000 years in China. They do amazing work at the museum. They can embroider two different images (front and back) on one piece of silk. We bought a small embroidery piece with koi fish for Maggie. Her province is famous for its embroidery work and I wanted to make sure we took something home for her. Of course, the boys will love to see the koi fish too.

In the afternoon, we received Maggie's birth certificate and an official sheet with her finding spot information. Last night, Mike and another dad from our group ventured out to buy food at an authentic Chinese restaurant. We had received order information in Chinese from our guide. They showed this to the staff and they laughed. Then they were directed to a lower scale Chinese restaurant that Mike compared to a Burger King. They also laughed but ended up with some food - some beef that didn't look like beef that we didn't eat. Mom ended up eating plain rice while I ate the rice and spicy broccoli. The boys also picked up a delicious cranberry cake.

Today, we will meet with a calligraphy expert who will create a document with Maggie's Chinese name at the hotel. Later we will receive Maggie's passport and head to the airport for our flight to Guangzhou. In a week we will be back in St. Louis. I can't wait to see my boys again and for them to meet their baby sister!

Changsha

2011-09-18T08:29:00.000-06:00

We made it to Changsha after a gate mix-up and extra hour wait tonight. We flew China Air and the service was better than we experienced on our long United flight from the U.S. Our CCAI guide Amy met us at the airport.

We are at The Dolton Hotel. We learned that Maggie Rose is in Changsha already! The Daoxian orphanage staff brought her to the city a day early because the SWI is approximately six hours away and we are meeting her at 10:30 tomorrow morning! I doubt if she is in this hotel because it's a bit ritsy but it's amazing to think that my little girl is almost here.

I am not sure if I will be able to post pictures. I am so disappointed. We need to go through our connection at home and I shut that down last night (unknowingly) when I shut Mike's laptop down because the power was low.
We have already witnessed some crazy Chinese driving tonight. I am not too worried since we are being transported in a nice van. Sadly, it's almost entertaining to see how people get around here. However, the honking outside right now from my 30th floor window is not so entertaining.
We have a crib in our room and a Hello Kitty baby tub in our bathroom. We are ready for Miss Maggie!

In Hong Kong!

2011-09-17T07:20:00.000-06:00

We landed in Hong Kong yesterday afternoon after flying more than 15 hours from Chicago. Boy, that was a brutal flight, especially towards the end when it seemed to slow down even more as I stared at the computer screen counting down the last hour.

When I got off the plane, I said, "We're in Hong Kong" as if to remind myself of reality. So much of this is still a bit surreal. Our guide Matthew was waiting for us at the airport. Today, we took a tour with Paul, Shelley and their son from our agency travel group and everal people from Holland. We visited an over priced jewelry store and enjoyed the view from Victoria's Peak. Mike took a sampan boat tour. Mom and I passed on the boat ride. We don't do very well on choppy water so we stayed in the air conditioned bus. I think there is probably enough pollution in the water. I don't need to be adding to it.

We are staying at the Hyatt Regency in Sha Tin and it is a beautiful hotel. We will fly to Hunan, Maggie's province tomorrow afternoon. We get our girls sometime on Monday.

Hong Kong is beautiful but the curvy roads got to me afer a while. We are a bit disappointed that because of our small group size we were not taken to a dim sum meal. Sorry, no pictures right now. We hope to post some tomorrow.

One More Day!

2011-09-14T11:43:00.001-06:00

The bags are packed and we are almost ready to go. Leaving the boys this morning at their daycare provider was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I was tearing up as I left. I know they'll be in good hands while we're gone, but I didn't want to quit loving on them.

While we were there, Jack said, "Mommy and daddy got to fly over the dolphin to the red place." We have a toy globe and every country has a color. The US is yellow and China is red. In-between the two countries is a button for a dolphin that makes a cute sound. Jack has an understanding of where we will be and why but it breaks my heart that Liam will wonder where mommy is. I hope I can make it up to him when I return.

We leave tomorrow morning and hope and pray for very friendly skies. Thanks for all the wonderful prayers and well wishes!

One More Day!

2011-09-14T11:42:00.000-06:00

Countdown to China

2011-09-09T19:41:00.000-06:00

We are so blessed that Jack's and Liam's daycare provider is going to take care of our boys while we are in China. She is a very sweet woman who loves our little stinkers. To help Jack get a better idea of how long we'll be gone, I created a chain for each day that we're away. Each chain either says where we are or what we're doing that day or contains an interesting fact about the places we visit.

For example, did you know that Hong Kong means Fragrant Harbour for the amount of incense that came through the area? I gave the boys' daycare provider an incense stick that they can see and smell. Do you know which animal you are in the Chinese zodiac? Jack's and Liam's friends will soon discover their zodiac animal.

We are leaving Thursday and will arrive in Hong Kong on Friday. We will leave for Maggie Rose's province on Sunday and receive her on Monday. I am very excited but I have to admit I'm still in a bit of denial. It's hard to shake that off after five years.
We are blessed to have the loving support of family and friends while we are gone. Please continue to pray for us - for safe travels and for Maggie to be able to adjust to her new family and eventually bond with us.

Scenes from a Hospital

2011-09-09T19:29:00.000-06:00

If they don't do good in restaurants, you probably shouldn't take them to a hospital.

Next image blurred to protect juvenile's identity. (:

Welcome Alexander!

2011-09-09T19:23:00.000-06:00

My brother Doug and his wife are proud parents of a baby boy. They delivered their precious bundle of joy last week. Congratulations Doug and JeNae!

Coming soon...more travel information!

2011-08-30T20:04:00.001-06:00

We received an e-mail from our agency today. We will receive our final travel packet tomorrow or Thursday and take part in a travel conference call on Friday. I can't wait to see the information about our in-China travel and find out when we'll receive Maggie. A friend who recently brought home her daughter told me that while she was in China, people who received referrals from the Hunan province received their daughters on Sunday. That would be September 18!

It's been an exciting day for us and for some of our Yahoo friends. Lots of referral calls were made today. Lots of beautiful babies. One friend even received a referral for twins! Tomorrow they will receive additional pictures of their daughters. Oh happy day!!

Jack's First Driving Lesson

2011-08-28T19:27:00.001-06:00

Grandpa took the ol' jalopy out for a cruise on the gravel road this afternoon. When we cruised into the hay field, he let Jack take over the wheel. My little man was so excited. He always wants to drive my car. Jack took his first driving lesson pretty seriously. I wish I had brought the camera with us.

Flights Booked!

2011-08-27T20:40:00.000-06:00

After being on the phone waiting for a customer service representative from Expedia twice today - an hour each time, I finally said, forget it, and booked our flights directly through United Airlines. So, our flights are booked for China! We are leaving September 15!! Please pray for safe travels. After all these years, it's hard to believe that we will meet Miss Maggie next month. I'll probably wake up from this surreal state when she starts screaming at me on Forever Family Day. Yes, I'm imagining the worst, praying for the best.

TAs & Visas!!

2011-08-24T19:41:00.000-06:00

Our agency, CCAI, received our travel approval today! With the Mid-Autumn Festival taking place September 12, it looks like we will leave between September 14 - 16. I joked on Facebook that we are now accepting Frequent Flyer miles, but seriously, now is the time for that long-lost distant (and rich) relative to step forward. :)

Hopefully, we will learn of our definite departure and return dates in the next few days so we can book our flights. That's the next biggie on our list.

We also received our Passports and Visas today. We are slowly checking off our to-do things and getting closer to Maggie.

With TA's sent, there is hope that referrals are around the corner for the next group of people who are logged into China. Fingers crossed that it's a big batch!! I love referral time!!

Thanks Ruby!

2011-08-24T19:29:00.000-06:00

For shedding light on what the "WWGFD" bumper sticker may mean. I had no idea it could reference a video game. I was assuming it was a religious reference based on "WWJD." I hope you are right.

My Sweet Boy

2011-08-19T19:45:00.000-06:00

I'm usually the one who shuttles the kids to and from daycare, but sometimes Mike picks up the boys and when he does he often has candy like Starbursts. It's a fun "let's-go-ahead-and-spoil-your-dinner" treat that Jack and now Liam love. The other night, Mike was teasing Jack that it was more fun to come home in his car as opposed to mine. But Jack said he liked going in his momma's car and you want to know why - "because she gives me love." That's exactly what he said. Melt my heart. That was the sweetest thing I've ever heard him say.

Where Is Maggie Rose From?

2011-08-18T19:47:00.001-06:00

Mike works with a man who is from China. When this co-worker saw our daughter's pictures today, he said she looked Cantonese, meaning she doesn't look like she comes from the Hunan province as stated in her paperwork. Did her birth parent(s) travel from a nearby province with Maggie so that no one they knew would discover what they were doing? Or, are Maggie's birth parent(s) Cantonese but moved to the Hunan province? Or, is there another reason? It's likely we will never know the answer but it gives us a tiny clue into her background.

The Hunan province is located close to the Guangdong province. Cantonese is believed to have originated in Canton or Guangzhou, Guangdong.

WWGFD

2011-08-18T19:25:00.000-06:00

Saw this on a bumper sticker tonight. I think you can interpret what it's supposed to imply. Sad, just sad.

The Amazing Race (In Our Living Room)

2011-08-17T19:41:00.000-06:00

The boys were hyper tonight racing each other across the living room. Jack is still faster than Liam but you ought to see my thirteen-month-old fly.

Too fast to be captured on film.

Tonight, Liam gave me a kiss when I asked for one before he went to bed. Oh, how I love his little open mouthed kisses. So cute!

Noodle Head

2011-08-16T20:29:00.002-06:00

Liam was all about putting food on his head tonight. Can you spot the noodle?

Ridiculously Cute!

2011-08-16T20:22:00.000-06:00

Miss Maggie's swimsuit arrived in the mail today. I took a picture of it with a lotion bottle so you could see how tiny it is. The tag says it will fit a baby who weighs 12.5 to 16.5 pounds. Mike bets the suit won't fit her. My friend Shelley found us a 6 to 9 month suit at a very good price so I think we'll be in good shape in China.

Cute bow on the back! Love the ruffles!!

Little Girl Found

2011-08-15T19:40:00.000-06:00

Have you ever wondered what it might be like to discover an abandoned baby in China? What would you do? Rumor Queen recently posted a link to this article describing one woman's experience. Like the author, I would have trouble letting go. My heart aches for the homeless children.

The Waiting Game

2011-08-15T19:35:00.000-06:00

When are we going to travel? Right now, I imagine it will be the first or second week in September. The good news is that our Visa applications along with our Passports are safely at the US Consulate. Hopefully, we will receive our Visas in a week or so. If anyone is looking for a courier, I highly recommend Denise Hope at There's Always Hope. She has been great to us.

Meanwhile, we're building a monster pile for our suitcases. All kinds of goodies for Maggie - clothes, prunes (hee, hee), diapers (etc) and then some snacks for us. We'll be taking plenty of granola bars and peanut butter for treats to tie us over.

Our agency released its monthly newsletter today. Last month, the agency received referrals for just three families - we are one of those blessed families. I had the great fortune of being contacted by one of the two families in our group. We have been communicating since then helping each other with the Visa applications and figuring out what to pack. I've said it before and I'll say it again, there's nothing like being a member of the adoption community. I have experienced the warmth of friendship and kindness so many times from members of this caring community.

I ordered a 3 to 6 month swimsuit for Maggie Rose since we will be in three toasty locations during our stay in China. I hope to receive the suit soon and post a picture of it. My CCAI friend found us a 6 to 9 month swimsuit in case the one I ordered is too small.

Our Yahoo friends received their baby girls today. One friend posted about the day on her blog. Wow - it's incredible to see her precious pictures, knowing that we will have our own special day next month.

Now, we sit back and play the waiting game for a little while longer. We hope to receive our travel approval this week which will allow our agency to ask for a date with the US Consulate in China which will help them figure out our travel dates!

Big Men on Campus

2011-08-09T20:52:00.000-06:00

The boys decided to play with their backbacks the other day. They had a lot of fun carrying them around. Liam loves it when he has exactly what Jack has. Well, okay, Liam had the Spongebob backpack while Jack carried around Buzz Lightyear, but still, Liam thinks he's pretty cool.

Serious backback and serious Scooby Doo watching.

"Look, mom. No pants." What a little hippie!

Care Package, Visa Apps, Oh My!

2011-08-09T20:40:00.000-06:00

Since we received Maggie Rose's referral, time has flown.

First, we had 24 to 48 hours to send back our acceptance letter. Last week, I put together Maggie's care package consisting of a light blanket, rattle, Hello Kitty toy (thinking about you, Amy), photo book, camera, treats for Maggie and her friends and candy for her care givers. Fingers crossed that her ophanage will actually take pictures. We hear that families from her province often do not receive their cameras back. I also would love for Maggie to be able to keep her toys. I marked everything I could. The rattle was the only that I couldn't mark.

Yesterday, I mailed our Visa applications. With some help, the four page application wasn't so bad, just time consuming. Today, I mailed our travel paperwork to our agency.

Now, I can sit back and wait for our Passports and Visas to be mailed to us. We still do not know with certainty when we will travel. However, we may receive our Travel Approvals in a couple of weeks.

There are a few families in our Yahoo group that are leaving for China this week! They will meet their daughters next week. I am so excited for them. I can't imagine how excited I will be when we actually travel.

More Maggie Rose!

2011-07-30T19:29:00.000-06:00

Check out these adorable pictures that came in our referral packet.

She looks so tiny!

Lady, give me my mom and dad, stat.

Look at that hair! Now, do you think they shaved the front and side of Maggie's head or does she just have super producing follicles towards the back?

Yes, Yes, Yes!

2011-07-30T19:17:00.000-06:00

I FedExed a letter stating that we accept Maggie's referral this morning. Our agency's Child Match department should receive our acceptance letter on Monday and then will send it to China. China will then in turn give us approval to travel there to pick up Maggie. After our U.S. Consulate appointment is set in China, we will know our travel dates. I'm in a bit of a daze. After all these years, things are finally moving...fast!

The Stork Has Arrived!

2011-07-29T13:02:00.002-06:00

Our FedEx guy arrived a few minutes ago. Of course, I made him take the traditional stork picture. At first when I asked to take his picture, he was taken aback but when I explained why he was very nice about it. He has friends who have adopted from other countries.

That package he's holding contained more pictures of Maggie Rose! I don't have a scanner so I won't be able to post her pictures for a while. You know, I thought that dark stuff on top of Maggie's head in her referral photo was the background, but it looks like that's her real hair! OMG!! Her other pictures show this big tuft of hair near the back of her head. Oh, I hope they don't shave Maggie's head before we pick her up. I want to put a bow in her lovely hair so badly!

Big Brothers!

2011-07-28T20:56:00.000-06:00

We are so thrilled. We hope to receive more pictures of Miss Maggie tomorrow. Needless to say, it's been a pretty non productive day. Tomorrow I'll be on stork lookout as FedEx brings our little girl's referral packet.

Introducing Maggie Rose

2011-07-28T10:13:00.003-06:00

Name: Yong Xiao Qing

Translation: Dawn Beautiful

DOB: 2/14/2011

Province: Hunan

Dear Maggie Rose

2011-07-27T20:22:00.000-06:00

Dear Maggie Rose,

We are finally going to see your precious face tomorrow. Your mother, father and two brothers, Jack and Liam, are so excited! You will have two wonderful playmates when you arrive home. They are awnry sometimes but also very loving. Once you get to know them, you'll probably think they're some of the funniest boys you've ever met.

I have wanted you in my life for a very long time. When I was a little girl I wanted a little sister so badly. My mom finally told me, "You'll just have to have your own little girl someday." It's been many years since then, and more than five years since we began our China adoption journey. And now, it's time baby, time to get to know you through a picture and a few descriptions. Your daddy and I are so blessed. I hope you will one day love us as much as we already love you.

Love with lots of hugs and kisses,
Your Mommy

Here Comes Maggie - Tomorrow!!

2011-07-27T11:54:00.000-06:00

7/27/2011 Matches Arrived!!!

We just received a group of matches for our families who are logged in July 7, 2006. We did not receive any matches for our families who are expedited due to Chinese Descent. We do not know the official cut off date at this time as the CCCWA has not updated their intranet site. Congratulations to our matched families! We will be making match calls tomorrow. We will update this website when more information becomes available.

We will get the call tomorrow and finally hear about our precious girl! If my head could spin, it would right now.

China Update

2011-07-20T20:42:00.000-06:00

This update was posted on our agency's website this afternoon:

7/20/2011

Preparing to work on Matches

The CCCWA is preparing paperwork to begin to work on matches. We do not know the log in dates for the next group of matches at this time nor do we have any further information.

We will update this website when more information becomes available.

So, if referrals are finished this week/early next week, we may just see Maggie Rose's face for the first time next week. I'm in a state of disbelief about China right now and about the amazing moment I may be experiencing soon. Maybe it's time I start waking up.

90 Miles in 90 Days

2011-07-20T20:37:00.001-06:00

A few months ago, the city put a small gym in the building where I work. The equipment is leftover from the city's recreation facility so the machines are loud and some features don't work, but for me, they're just perfect. I can jog on an old treadmill during my lunch hour (for free) and tone some of my flabby areas.

A few months ago, the city began its 90 Miles in 90 Days program for employees. Employees were encouraged to complete 90 miles of walking, running, biking, etc. in 90 days. Those who completed this challenge were entered into a drawing. Well, I finished my 90 miles a few weeks ago. And I found out today that I won a bike!! I am so excited. Actually, a city employee called me to congratulate me and ending up informing me of my win because I had been in an edit suite and hadn't seen my notification e-mail. I meet my bike for the first time on Friday. Wee!

Now, I haven't rode a bike in ages. Not even sure my butt will stay on the seat. Don't even want to think what the back "bumper" will look like.

Weekend in Review

2011-07-19T05:01:00.001-06:00

Last weekend, we attended a family reunion. When I was a kid I dreaded these get-togethers, bu when you get to a "certain" age, it seems like reunions are the only times big families get together besides funerals. My grandmother Mary, my father's mother, passed away many years ago but two of her brothers and one sister are still alive. Since I never knew Grandma Mary, I have talked to Aunt Janet about her in the past. I wish I'd had the time to talk to her brothers at the reunion but I was a little busy watching monkeys run around with their second cousins and one little monkey wanted to keep going where he shouldn't go.

Could it be this little monkey? He can't sit still, although he has been more cuddly lately. Those darn one year vaccinations and teething - not a good combination for a baby. Liam's hair looks really light in this picture. And his eyes - red. :)

Too bad the boys aren't old enough to help Grandpa with some heavy farm work. It would help if this was a real gator too.

Big Shoes to Fill

2011-07-16T19:58:00.001-06:00

Someone had a little fun with my shoes tonight. I remember slipping on my dad's shoes when I was a kid. I thought dad had the biggest feet! Sadly, I think Jack has better looking legs than me. :(

Happy Birthday Little Man!

2011-07-14T20:33:00.000-06:00

Liam turned a year old today. And to think - a year ago, we didn't know about our special guy. He was still a dream. Meeting his birth mother and grandmother was an incredible moment. And then we were able to visit with Liam. He was sleeping. Our lovely social worker said that he looked happy in my arms. He slept through most of our visit so who knows if that is really true but it was a comfort at the time. Liam also peed on me when I changed his diaper. It felt like an initiation of some sort, like, if you can handle this woman, wait till you see what else I can do.

Liam is an active little boy who never wants to slow down. He's always on the go but he's also shown tender moments like his cute open mouth kisses or his head butts which he thinks are terms of affection. I can't wait to discover more about my little man whom I still call my baby and probably always will even if it embarrasses him. I love you baby!

Mike loving on his boy.

Ready to be a big brother!

Ready to go home.

Maggie Rose's Quilt

2011-07-13T19:32:00.001-06:00

When Mike and I began the China adoption process, I learned of a tradition among adoptive parents - the 100 Wishes Quilt. The quilt includes 100 different pieces of fabric, or in our case 130, from family and friends. Family members and friends also provide a wish for the child with a piece of the fabric to be placed in a scrapbook. That way, the recipient always knows who gave each wish and material.

With Maggie Rose's referral nearing, mom has been working hard to sew these blocks together and she has done an amazing job. I can't wait to go home this weekend and touch what I am seeing in these pictures. To me, quilts are a work of art. There is a lot of hard work and love invested in each one. And this one is for Maggie Rose. Isn't that beautiful!

More Pictures From the Party

2011-07-11T19:49:00.000-06:00

Me and my nephew Christoper - why does almost everyone I know like to remind me that I'm vertically challenged?

Sam and Eli - who turned one last week. He and Liam are only eight days apart! Very special boys.

Jack and Aunt EE, a special woman who spoils Jack rotten.

Eli enjoying cake.

Yummy mommy!

Cousins, brothers and friends.

Liam's Birthday Party

2011-07-10T21:30:00.000-06:00

Liam turns one year old this week! I can't believe it. I remember when he was just a little baby. Now my baby is turning into a little boy. Today, we hosted a birthday party for him at Pizza Hut. Thank goodness for air conditioning. I guess it's a good thing my mom nagged me until I changed the location from a park to PH.

It took Liam just a little while to realize that he could make a big mess and did he ever! Look at that impish grin. What a cutie! We were so blessed to have many of our family and friends present at his party - they were the best presents!

A big birthday shout out to my dad who celebrated his birthday today. Mike's and my brother Doug's birthdays are also coming up. So many July b-days!

Coffee Break

2011-07-08T07:32:00.000-06:00

So, I'm enjoying a visit with someone this morning and drinking (real) coffee, then I leave and realize that I have coffee stains on the right side of my shirt. Seriously, it's looks like I'm leaking. And we have a shoot with the City Manager this morning. Could things get any better? Life makes me laugh. Happy Friday!

Five Year Anniversary

2011-07-07T19:48:00.001-06:00

Chart taken from Rumor Queen.

Today marks five years since the day we were logged into the China adoption process. On that day, the social welfare institute in China received our official papers and stamped them with the date 07/07/06. Then put them in a pile with other July 07, 2006 prospective adoptive families. Wow, it's hard to believe it's been five years. And those five years do not include the additional 8 months or so it took us to gather all of our paperwork for China.

As I looked through documents today, I came across a letter to a Secret Pal back in 2007. At the time I lamented the two year wait being better than a three year wait. Ha, if I had only known.

Unless China somehow misses me like some families who were logged in June 2006 and still have not received their referrals, we should receive Maggie's referral by the end of July/early August. Last night, I had a dream of a five month old girl who had a little scratch on one side of her head. I wish I had woken up at the time and written her name down. She had several. I thought one was Heshe which doesn't make sense and seems about normal for one of my dreams. I even saw Maggie's face which may have been inspired by the beautiful faces belonging to girls who were referred last month to a couple of friends in my Yahoo group. They are now anxiously awaiting their Travel Approval so they can bring home their precious daughters.

According to Rumor Queen, we should start hearing rumors in a couple of weeks or so. Based on the timing of past referrals, our referral is predicted to arrive between July 22 and August 16, but most likely will arrive between July 29 and August 4.

Happy Fourth of July!

2011-07-04T21:11:00.000-06:00

Liam's first swim!

We spent the day at my brother Billy's in-laws. They live on a lake so it was a great opportunity for the boys to test their sea legs. Although Liam wasn't too thrilled when the bigger kids would splash water, he seemed to mostly enjoy his first time swimming.

The boys enjoyed riding on a mechanical horse. Good thing we knew the owner who opened the quarter box and let them keep riding.

We hope everyone had a wonderful Fourth! We sure did.

What Liam Wants For His Upcoming Birthday

2011-07-04T20:48:00.000-06:00

Necklace? Check. Pink comb? Check. Random cardboard box? Check. How about some new blinds?

I Come In Peace

2011-07-04T20:45:00.002-06:00

Now, change my dirty diaper.

Smelly Stuff

2011-06-30T07:16:00.001-06:00

So, yesterday, a co-worker said, "In the morning, as I'm walking by people coming to work it's hard for me not to cough. Those ladies wear too much perfume. I'm glad that you aren't like that."

Which made me quickly realize that I had forgotten to put on deodorant. :)

Processing

2011-06-28T20:59:00.001-06:00

I'm not going to lie to you. Today sucked. I was in a kind of denial/slow acceptance state all day. Late in the afternoon, I treated myself to a soda and small Cheez-It's bag and my tiny world seemed a little brighter. It's amazing what caffeine and junk food will do, but hey, it's the little things.

I am very excited for a couple of ladies in my Yahoo group who will see their children's faces this week. And we are next. In a month or so, we will post our exciting news.

Top 3 Reasons It's a Good Thing We "Should Be In" Next Month
1. It should be cooler in September.
2. More time to put some "glow" on my see-thru pearly white legs.
3. More time for Liam to warm up to our friends who may watch the boys while we're in China (Love you EE!)

Top 3 Reasons It's Not Such a Good Thing
1. Waiting another month to see our daughter's face.
2. September is a good time to travel to China which means the trip will probably be more expensive.
3. Since our Travel Approval will arrive after the August 1 date, we will fall under new post adoption requirements which will cost extra $.

So, please hold up your lit phones in the dark and wave them around in a tribute to my pity party. "Nah, nah, nah, nah. Nah, nah, nah, nah. Hey, hey, hey. Don't cry." Thank you.

China Update

2011-06-28T04:51:00.000-06:00

According to a Spanish Rumor site, it appears that we have missed this month's referral batch by one day!! It looks like referrals include up to July 6 LIDers. We are July 7. We will hear more information this week from our agency as to what LIDs are included. Sooo, to be so close and yet another month away. It's a little stunning.

However, it's wise to look on the bright side of things. I have more time to concentrate on Jack and Liam. Liam's birthday is next month so I can give him and his special day my full attention. We will travel just a smidge later in the summer/fall so maybe it will be one degree cooler. (ha, ha).

And we know that unless something weird pops up, we are next. We will receive our referral at the end of July/early August.

China Update

2011-06-22T20:54:00.001-06:00

Our agency posted its regular Wednesday update today....

6/22/2011

Organizing Paperwork

The CCCWA is beginning to organize paperwork to begin the matching process. We do not know the log in dates for the next group of matches at this time.

We will update this website when more information becomes available.

Will we be in this next group of matches?

Right now, our dossier (a packet including information about our health, criminal background, finances, etc) could be sitting on a person's desk at the CCCWA (the government entity responsible for international adoptions in China). On another pile are files of children who are available for international adoption. The people in the matching room look through these piles organized by agencies and check for the prospective adoptive parents' (PAPs) ages (to determine what age child they are qualified to adopt), their personalities and other factors to help them determine which child should be matched with which PAPs.

When I begin to think that we may be matched with our Maggie Rose in the next few days my heart begins to flutter. I begin to feel like I did when our profile was presented to a birth parent in the domestic adoption program. Would we be picked? Were we the right parents for their child?

And then the call. When we were chosen by Liam's birth mother, my legs shook. I had trouble walking. I wanted to scream to express all the joy and excitement I felt within.

Five plus years ago, I was ready. Ready for the moment when we would receive our match. In a year, we would have our daugher's referral. A year turned into years. I had to beat down the excitement. It's hard to live and sustain that level of anticipation for five years. Now? I am nervous and fidgety. It is hard to concentrate at work. I keep checking our agency's web site and a rumor site for updates.

In the next week or two, we may finally get the call and see our daughter's face for the first time.

Wild, Wild West

2011-06-21T20:00:00.000-06:00

Mr. Serious.

The Heart Breaker.

China update (not really)

2011-06-19T21:06:00.000-06:00

No new information on our upcoming referral. We expect China will start the matching process this week/next week. This is what we've seen the past couple of weeks.

6/15/2011

No New Information on Next Set of Matches

We have no new information on the next set of matches at this time. We do hope to hear from the CCCWA within the next week or so.

We will update this website when more information becomes available.

6/8/2011

No News on Next Set of Matches

We have not received any new information on the next group of matches at this time.

We will update this website as soon as more information becomes available.

Family Fun Fest

2011-06-19T20:56:00.001-06:00

With decent weather last week, we decided to attend a Family Fun Fest, sponsored by the local Parks and Recreation. Jack played some hoops.

And enjoyed the bounce house.

Liam went home early with Mike. Poor guy. The gnats loved him for some reason. I guess because he's such a sweetie.

Saw some wildlife.

A flying squirrel - so cool!

Jack checked out a small snake.

Then became an honorary fire fighter. He was concerned about running people over.

A turkey vulture.

We saw my cousin Michelle and her daughter Della at the event. We hope to go swimming together on one of these hot nights. Jack is so ready!!

Happy Birthday Ali!

2011-06-19T20:17:00.000-06:00

Last weekend, we celebrated the first birthday of our niece, Ali. She wasn't too thrilled with the cake or maybe it was the crowd of people watching and taking pictures of the big moment.

Here are a couple of other pictures from that weekend.

Miss Meaghan and Jack rode bikes together.

Look at that determination.

And then there's Liam, just a big bundle of cuteness.

One Step Closer

2011-06-09T21:24:00.001-06:00

We received an e-mail from our China adoption agency today:

"This message is to notify you that it is time to download Pre-Placement Packet."

We are getting closer to our referral! The earliest we will hear match rumors will probably be in a few weeks at the end of June.

I guess it's time to get excited. After years of guarding my heart and mentally despairing about the adoption, it's time to start mentally preparing.

I will say that I believe God's timing is perfect. Without the long China wait and a deep desire to have children, we would not have our two incredible boys. I love my squirts. They are amazing.

Although infertility once seemed like a curse and an absolute sentence to a life without children, we were fortunate that the rough spot in the road led us down a much brighter path filled with more joy and love than we could ever imagine. We gathered into our arms two amazing boys and their families.

I am one lucky and blessed momma! Praise God for his love and wisdom!!

Weekend in Review

2011-06-05T20:16:00.000-06:00

Crickey, it's Liam, the snake charmer.

We had a wonderful weekend down home. We attended a reunion for my dad's side of the family. Of course, we talked so much, we didn't take many pictures. This photo shows my dad (second from the right) and his siblings. Two brothers have passed in recent years, Slim and Buck. My uncle on the left, Junior, got in a fight with a porch swing and lost. :) His black eye almost looks fake.

We had a great time at the reunion. It's nice to see family at a get-together other than a funeral.

Liam cut his fourth tooth! He also landed his first big bruise on Saturday. Right on his forehead. You can see it on the top picture. Poor little guy. He is always on the go, go, go. I guess it's a miracle that this is his first one.

And here I am, being tackled. I'm going to be in big trouble when Liam gets to be Jack's age and they both tackle me. Liam already tries to tackle Jack. Ugh! I'd better start building some back muscles.

China Upate

2011-06-05T20:00:00.001-06:00

chart taken fromRumor Queen

Wow! The late May/early June referral batch was big. Referrals were sent to the rest of the people logged in for June 2006. Now, it's on to July! Our log-in date is July 7. We are very close. In her first chart (Wntr 2011), Rumor Queen predicts that people logged in until July 12 will receive referrals in this next batch. But this is just a prediction.

We may receive our referral at the end of June/early July or may have to wait another month. Even though it's been almost five years, it still seems a bit surreal. This incredibly long gestation period may soon be over.

Skating to the 80's

2011-06-02T21:09:00.000-06:00

Jack and I attended a Women's Network Roller Skating Party tonight. This was Jack's first time on skates. It's been a long time since I've gone but I used to be a very fast skater. I used to skate around my parents' kitchen when they had crappola green and black tiles and they didn't care what we kids did to them.

Jack went into the rink with my help and then a little walker-type thing designed to help kids get the feel for skating. In the end, he preferred to watch me skate around the rink. I felt like a kid again especially when I fell on my butt. Yes, I fell once and it hurt.

Happiness is holding a small child's hand.

Sweet Anniversary Gift

2011-05-31T20:57:00.000-06:00

Look what I received for my wedding anniversary gift last week. I've always wanted one of these for my car. Looks like I'm topless with no chest. Bahaha. And there are three little ones. We're getting closer to Maggie's referral. Looks like the end of June or July. What will my rowdy boys do with a little girl?

Happy Memorial Day!

2011-05-30T21:19:00.001-06:00

We had a fabulous time with family this weekend. We did spend Saturday at home where we showed an early interest in the guitar. Maybe Liam will take after one of his uncles. We hope so.

Then we had a short lesson in turtles when this little guy came for a visit.

Mike released him into the wild.

On Sunday, we celebrated Mike's parents' 40th wedding anniversary. Since Mike was driving I had a small margarita - probably one of the most powerful I've had in a long time. I don't drink very often so halfway through this glass I realized there was more alcohol than fruity flavor. Whoo.

Liam hung out with cousin Allie.

Jack hung out with his best friend cousin Dalton. Dalton calls him Jacque.

On Monday, we went to a small town Memorial Day parade. Besides the heat, it was lovely.

The reason we were there.

Jack stashes away his candy.

Liam had a front row seat on my lap. Look at how curly his hair is.

This nice man let the boys get up close with his horse.

Still waving the red, white and blue on the ride to Grandpa's and Grandma's house.

Mike, the Cicada Hunter. He actually loves messing with those silly things.

RIP Cicadas.

Garrett is doing great! It's amazing how fast children can bounce back from surgeries.

Me and my baby.

Meaghan and Jack work on a bike.

My heart runneth over. I had such a great time. I hope you did too.

Weekend in Review

2011-05-24T21:50:00.001-06:00

Garrett is home. His surgery went great on Friday. The doctors think they have everything out this time. Hopefully, he won't be back except for regular check-ups.

Our weekend was busy and lots of fun. On Saturday, we attended the Parents as Teachers end-of-the-year luncheon.

We also attended a graduation party for a young man I babysat while in college. Boy, that made me feel old. Of course, it was hard to recognize the five-year-old in the 18-year-old's face. He is going into international studies. Very exciting!

And we attended Aunt Jay's graduation ceremony and party on Sunday. She is on her way to big things. We are very happy for her.

The party was so much fun!

We even managed to get a smile out of Liam who is suffering big-time teeth cutting pain. All the seniors who attended the party were thrown in the pool. I hear it was nice and cold. They were all good sports.

Eli and Liam liked feeling the water on their feet. Looks like Liam wanted to go swimming!

Got a picture of cousin Chris "diving" in.

Grandpa and Eli.

Garrett

2011-05-19T21:07:00.000-06:00

My nephew is scheduled to have surgery tomorrow to remove the growth in his head. Poor little guy. They went in for an MRI yesterday and he said something like, "I'm fine" when they first arrived at the hospital. Please keep him in your prayers!

Jumpin! and Walkin!

2011-05-19T21:02:00.000-06:00

Jack had to jump about a dozen times for me tonight so I could take a gazillion pictures trying to capture him in flight. As he'd say, "I'm a really good jumper!"

And look who's walking!

Baby Liam is walking. He walks with his arms out like a mini Frankenstein. He's so cute!! He already crawls after Jack. Pretty soon, he'll be running. Watch out Jack!

Scenes from a Shoot

2011-05-19T20:38:00.000-06:00

I had fun with Jack and two of his friends at daycare yesterday. I shot video of them trying to spell the word "FUN." As you can see, each child had a letter. The video captured them mostly goofing off. The above still is their tribute to "Say Anything."

This was Liam's first shoot. He held the exclamation point at the end. My little guy did an excellent job! He was thrilled to be a part of mommy's silly shoot.

The finished product will promote a Family Fun Fest held by the local Parks and Recreation.

Weekend in Review

2011-05-15T20:53:00.001-06:00

We've had a nice but too short weekend. Yesterday, we attended a Domestic/International Adoption picnic. It was nice to see friends and meet new ones at this unique event that brought people together who have adopted from the United States, Guatemala, Thailand, Taiwan, Ethiopia, China and Korea. I feel blessed to be a part of this group of friends. Adoption has enriched our lives in many ways.

We spent today at my parents' house. It was a quiet day since the weather was so miserable outside. It looks like the weather will be better by the middle/end of this week. Fingers crossed!

Grandpa played a game with Liam called "Place Pink Donut on Baby Liam's Head and Then It Falls Off.". He loved it! When Grandpa recovered the donut he'd hand it to Liam. Then Liam would drop it on the floor and get excited when Grandpa put it back on his head.

Silly squirrel! (BTW: Liam borrowed a shirt from the future Miss Maggie today. Notice the frilly sleeves.)

Grandpa showed Jack how to put together a couple of chains.

"Patty cake. Patty cake. Baker's man. Roll it up. Roll it up. And throw it in the pan!"

Playing Ball

2011-05-10T21:23:00.002-06:00

We attended a Parks and Recreation soccer event tonight. Jack did great when we arrived, then decided he would rather do this. Apparently, he wanted to play baseball instead.

Liam was ready to play.

Would our super star actually play?

Maybe dad could talk him into it.

Eventually, he went back on the field.

When Mohawk boy and another kid fell down, Jack went after the ball. Gotta love the spaced out boy.

Liam enjoyed a piggy back ride.

Time to put the balls away.

Teamwork!

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T20:47:00.001-06:00

We spent a relaxing day with my folks today. With Grandpa standing nearby, Jack was finally able to feed the baby calf.

We took a walk to the creek which made me a little nostalgic and reminded me of fun childhood days. After a rain, while the creek was still running, we would go swimming bringing along a tractor inner tube. We (all four kids) would get on the tube then slowly work our way to the same area then flip! Today, the creek was running and even smelled (not bad) like it did when I was a child. We saw little minnows but they wouldn't nibble Meaghan's or Jack's feet. I'm doing my best to convince mom and dad to buy a swimming pool so we can all have some fun and keep Meaghan from swimming in the creek this summer.

The kids had a blast soaking their feet.

Good thing Grandma had three umbrellas at the house because the kids all decided they needed one today.

My nephew Garrett (below) is headed to Children's Hospital for brain surgery this month. More than a year ago, doctors removed growth near his left ear but they missed some of it. During a recent visit, an MRI detected the area had grown bigger. Please say a prayer for my nephew and all children who have to undergo scary stuff at such a young age.

Squirrel!

We hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day!

China Update

2011-05-08T20:09:00.001-06:00

*Chart taken from Rumor Queen

Wow. How time flies yet China's traditional adoption program creeps by so slowly. I thought we might get a referral in July but now it looks like August according to Rumor Queen's Wntr 2011 column. (We have a July 7 log-in date and her predictions seem to indicate that families with log-in dates of July 5 to July 13 will be included in the August batch.) The latest batch of referrals was so small it was almost ridiculous. It's hard to believe that there are so many domestic adoptions taking place in China but that is one reason the Chinese adoption authorities say this process has slowed to a trickle.

*Chart taken from Rumor Queen

A recently conducted survey on attrition shows how many people have dropped out of the traditional program with log-in dates from July 2006. So, if 10 people were logged in for the month of July, only four families are still waiting. We are one of those families. Many families have switched to China's special needs program, other countries or have found a child through domestic adoption. We have been blessed with our two boys through the domestic adoption program. However, we still feel that there is a little girl waiting for us somewhere. We think that somewhere is China.

Brothers!

2011-05-01T20:15:00.001-06:00

Bathtime is so much fun!

We had a pretty easy going weekend. Besides a city event that I worked at yesterday, church last night and visiting my friends at the retirement home this morning, we stayed put and that was nice. I think Liam is suffering from allergies. We've been giving him small doses of Benadryl and that seems to be helping a little. Fingers crossed that he sleeps tonight and doesn't wake up with a coughing fit like he's had the last four nights.

A Lover's Spat

2011-04-26T20:28:00.000-06:00

Jack and his (girl) friend were pretending to go camping today. He broke up with her when she stole his pink pillow. They say young love never lasts. Counseling anyone?

Weekend in Review

2011-04-25T20:08:00.001-06:00

It's hard to believe that April is almost over. This month has gone by incredibly fast. This weekend was no exception. I wish it would have slowed down. There never seems to be enough hours in a day to visit family and friends.

On Saturday, we visited Liam's birth family and the time spent there was precious. They are a wonderful family and we have a great time when we're with them. During our visit, we met Liam's uncle, great aunt, second cousin and birth father.

We were excited but nervous about meeting Liam's birth father. After all, you only get one shot to make a good first impression. But despite the early awkwardness, probably more me, it was a great opportunity to get to know him. Liam is his little mini-me. They look so much alike. It was also a great time to give Liam's birth mother and birth father a chance to visit with their son in private. They even helped him drift into a peaceful nap. I hope we will have the opportunity to get to know him better in the future.

On Sunday, we celebrated my brother Steven's birthday.

I'm thinking, "I can't believe this will be me someday."

My nephew Christopher attempts to crush the pinata.

My beautiful niece - what an egg head!

Grandpa and his boys.

We had an eggcellent weekend!

Happy Easter!

2011-04-22T20:32:00.000-06:00

I am enjoying watching these two boys develop a relationship. Liam clearly adores his older brother and, for the most part, Jack is amazing with Liam even wiping his nose in the car until Liam tries to grab the kleenex and eat it. Liam already wants to play cars with Jack. These two are going to get in a lot of trouble when they get older. I'm so glad they have each other.

My chocolate bunny!

We are looking forward to seeing wonderful family this weekend. We made brownies tonight. I hope they're edible. Happy Easter to all my friends and family. Love you!

I'm a Model...

2011-04-22T20:20:00.000-06:00

"Ready for my close-up."

"Hello, who's calling? Calvin Klein?"

"What you lookin' at?"

Big Hearts

2011-04-20T20:44:00.000-06:00

I want to award my father and mother "Farmers of the Year" awards for taking extra special care of a cow and her calf. The momma cow hasn't been able to stand up on her own or walk since giving birth. One leg isn't working properly. Dad has been using a tractor attached to a halter to help her stand while he feeds and waters her. Meanwhile, my folks are bottle feeding the calf and he seems to be doing well. Keep in mind, it wasn't too long ago that my father was knocked down by a bull. I realize there is only so much my folks can do to take care of the cow. I'm really proud of them for going the extra mile.

Somebunny Loves You!

2011-04-20T20:36:00.000-06:00

My wonderful friend Laura sent me this poem after watching a video I produced for work. Isn't she great! I have some of the best friends in the world!!

Remote in hand, what did I see?
A cute little bunny grinning at me.
Telling jokes but being booed!
No respect from the truly rude.

Don't they see those cute little ears?
The big big eyes, the cottontail rear?
The jokes fell flat, it's sad but true,
But you gotta know--somebunny loves you!

Here's a link to the video.

Brothers

2011-04-18T20:42:00.001-06:00

Tonight was a good night with the boys. You know, those moments when you think, yeah, I've got my parenting groove on. The boys were happy, playing together and having fun. Liam adores his big brother and loves to follow him around. He wants to be in his bed, check out his toys, etc. Both boys crawled on top of me at one point tonight. I finally had to put an end to that so no one would get hurt. Liam loves to get behind our recliner and "hide" from you. You look at him from one side, he laughs and crawls to the other side. He thinks he's being the awnriest and funniest little boy during this version of "hide and seek." Of course, Jack is one of the smartest, goofiest boys I know. I wonder how much of his silly stuff (some of which he got from me) will rub off on Liam? And is that a good thing or bad thing?

Long Live the King!

2011-04-17T20:27:00.000-06:00

Someone knows how to rock the guitar and piano.

We've had an easy going weekend. Jack and I attended a Flashlight Egg Hunt on Friday night. It was chilly so we put on our winter coats and had fun looking for eggs.

Liam has been congested and now has nasal drip and a cough. I also have been feeling poorly although I am feeling much better tonight. I hope Liam feels better soon. We have a lot of wonderful family to see this weekend! It's hard to believe that Easter is almost here!!

My 9 Month Old Cutie

2011-04-14T20:33:00.000-06:00

Happy 9 month birthday beautiful boy. You make walkers look cool.

The Right to Parent

2011-04-14T20:10:00.001-06:00

When can an adoptive parent just be a parent?

China has established new guidelines for people who receive travel approval after August 1. Although we hope to have Maggie's referral by then, we probably will not have our TA by then. Therefore, we will have to abide by these new guidelines which require reports at 1 month, 2 years, 3 years and 5 years in addition to the already required 6 and 12 month post adoption reports.

Although I am raising two awesome boys, I will still have to prove to the government that I am a good parent five years after we bring Maggie home.

There is a reason for post placement reports. The government needs to know that these children they entrust to families are well taken care of. I understand that but there are times when you just want to be a normal family. I had a goal for myself that I wanted to be done with home studies and post placement reports by a certain age. With these new China guidelines, I will not make that mark. Although I love our social worker and these extended updates will give me the opportunity to continue to see her over the next several years, I just want to be a mom. I don't want to have to "prove" myself to our government or China.

As adoptive parents, we have gone through yearly physicals, CPR training, home visits with social workers, fingerprinting, criminal (passed that with flying colors) and financial background checks, asked for letters from our priests, family and friends, etc., etc.

Can't we just be parents?

Silver Screen Shots

2011-04-12T19:24:00.000-06:00

The following stills are from the video I shot this weekend with Jack. My tribute to the silent movies is titled "Damsel in Distress."

Our hero arrives as the train approaches.

"Don't worry. I'll save you."

But she was looking for a hero, not a silly squirrel.

"Never mind."

Another Look at this Weekend

2011-04-11T21:15:00.001-06:00

Meaghan decided to build the kitties a house to protect them from future storms. Eventually, she added grass to give the shelter a roof. And she sprayed lavendar scent on the area. Maybe she is going to be a realtor someday.

Jack felt the need to supervise.

Liam took a ride like a big cowboy.

And got smooches from Grandma. He is getting so big. You can see him pinching Grandma in the picture. That is Liam's new thing - pinching bits of skin and it hurts. He has a grip! It's a good thing he's so cute.

And the kids decided to push the toy gator up a couple of hills. Why, oh why? This looks like too much work to me.

Busy Fun Weekend

2011-04-10T21:10:00.001-06:00

"It's just a matter of time before pigs fly...or at least one drops from the sky."

We headed to see our folks this weekend. I needed to shoot video at a local railroad track for an upcoming promotion. Unfortunately, the ties and depot were gone. Only the rails remained and the grass had grown thick along them. So, it looks like I'll get an "A" for creativity on this project but a poor grade for realism. My silent movie tribute will look a little more hokey but this isn't Hollywood baby. A big thanks to my mom who was a wonderful assistant and also helped with the boys.

My uncle Joe came over to help mom and dad till their garden. Dad is supervising. :)

In the end, they decided to burn, baby burn the top and bottom garden. It was mom's turn to supervise.

We also saw Mike's family this weekend. Here, Liam checks out Grandpa Pete.

Hello Grandma Judy. Do you have any bling that's worth chewing on?

Liam has such a beautiful smile. Mike was rolling him around in this walker like a car and Liam was having a blast. You can see the pure joy on his face.

Cousin Allie who is a month older than Liam is already walking!

Liam decided he was a big boy too so he grabbed onto one of Allie's toys and began walking with it. Notice his tongue is stuck out in concentration. Liam is pulling up on everything now. Before you know it, he'll be walking without the help of a toy.

"I'm so proud of me!"

China Upate

2011-04-10T20:20:00.000-06:00

The latest projections (look at Wntr 2011 column) seem to indicate that we will receive Maggie's referral in July. Our log-in date is 7/7. The column projects that China will send referrals to people with log-in dates up to July 11 2006 by July. Not holding my breath. China could decide to send out a lot less, but if the current rate of referrals holds steady, we may be headed to China in September/October. I'm excited about bringing Maggie home but also dread being without my boys for two weeks. That is going to be very hard on this momma.

Celebrating Brotherhood

2011-04-07T20:24:00.002-06:00

We met Janeene, our wonderful social worker, and Michele, who also works at our agency's office, to celebrate the finalization of Liam's adoption and Jack's official big brother status.

Janeene presents him with his Big Brother certificate.

A closer look at Jack's award, featuring one of Jack's favorite cars. Janeene also gave him a Scooby Doo book. Scooby Doo is one of Jack's favorite cartoons.

While Jack celebrated with ice cream...

Liam chewed on Jack's motorcycle. Everything has to go in his mouth.

The Brotherhood.

Janeene and Liam!

We love you, Michele and all of our supportive friends at LFCS. Thank you!

Tons of Trucks

2011-04-06T20:34:00.001-06:00

= TONS OF FUN!

The city Parks and Recreation hosted an event that featured tractors, fire trucks, police cars, tow trucks, garbage trucks, etc. Jack and Liam had a great time.

Mr. Smiley Face. I'm in love.

Bad boys, bad boys. Whatcha gonna do when they come for you?

Hey, look Grandpa. I have my own Precious, well, okay, I borrowed it. Aren't you proud of me?

That silly brother of mine.

Mr. Cool Stuff.

Overheard Conversation

2011-04-04T20:07:00.001-06:00

On Saturday night before church began, I couldn't help but overhear two older ladies several rows behind me. They must have been a bit hard of hearing. In-between praying and wondering whether I should listen or block their voices out, I picked up a few words and realized that they were talking about adoption.

"(something, something about child preferences)....between light, light, light, but not dark, dark, dark. (something, something). They got lucky."

From what I gleamed from the conversation, the adoptive parents got lucky because they were able to adopt a child with light colored skin. Is a child with a darker complexion less worthy of a parent's love? Does our color have to define who we are when we all start out as a baby who needs unconditional love from his parents? My God, I wanted to scream, we're talking about a baby here, not a car or some other object incapable of love and feeling. And you're in church! Do you think God gives you extra credit for being a pasty old white lady?

I realize that if/when we adopt our daughter from China, she will not look like Mike, me, Jack or Liam. She will definitely stand out a bit. God help the person who says something racist about my daughter. I'm sure I will give them a piece of my mind. And I can guarantee you that if someone says something stupid about my daughter or any of my children in regards to their race, I will not feel the slightest tinge of sadness in removing those people from my life. I'm a momma bear and I won't tolerate it. Grrr...

Goodbye Uncle Buck

2011-04-03T19:56:00.001-06:00

One of my uncles passed away last week. He was 78-years-old. The fondest memory I have of my uncle dates back to when he and a couple of other uncles were helping my father with our roof. My Uncle Francis, or Uncle Buck as we all called him, had candy and threw it down at us from the roof. My brother and I were young and LOVED candy so we scrambled for it and as we did my Uncle Buck would make chicken noises. It's an unusual memory but it's the one I associated with him. My uncle also made amazing wine and was excellent with his hands whether in the garden or with carpentry. I know this has not been easy on my father. It is never easy to lose a loved one even though you know that heaven is winning a soul. We know he is at peace and with his wife who passed away two years ago. Still, their physical presence is missing from our lives and that is difficult.

It is not easy to explain death to a 3-year-old. As we headed to my Uncle Buck's funeral yesterday, I told Jack that when a person dies, they are no longer here. We cannot visit them anymore. They are in heaven. Jack said, "But the doctors can make him feel better." Sometimes, even the best medicine is not enough when it is time to go home.

I found comfort in today's reading from Ephesians 5: 8 - 14

For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is a shame even to speak of the things that they do in secret; but when anything is exposed by the light it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it is said, "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light."

Uncle Buck is no longer asleep but alive and in the presence of God and Christ. His love continues to shine in the hearts of those who will always love and remember him.

Trying My Hand at a Standup

2011-03-30T17:38:00.000-06:00

We are back to producing short segments called the City Minute at work. In the past, we featured a theatre student from the university. This time, it's all me baby! Ring-a-ding-ding. Who's that calling? The Today Show. (ha, ha).

"To properly load a potato gun..."

Practicing my wrinkle reducing facial exercises.

If I hold my head just right, my double chin disappears.

And it's back.

In the News

2011-03-29T20:18:00.000-06:00

A month or so ago, Mike and I were interviewed for a magazine article on adoption. We hope readers will realize how much love it takes to make an adoption plan for a child. We are honored to have two amazing boys and their incredible families in our lives. Search pages 126 - 127 for our section in the article.

Brothers!

2011-03-29T19:38:00.000-06:00