Happy 32!!

Happy 32 :-)

Today we celebrate being logged-in for 32-months. It seems like we should be happy celebrating that number, as it should mean that we are getting closer to our referral. However, not so much. The C*C*A*A has not issued referrals this month, and the rumor on the street is that it's doubtful that any will be released in November. So for now we are at a stand-still. It is very disheartening - and I'm most sad for those who are "next" in line. I think the closer you get the harder the wait so I can only imagine the pain they must be feeling right now.

In other news, we had a meeting with Ava (our Social Worker) a few weeks ago. She is in the process of writing a new homestudy for us so we can stay current with our paperwork. I was just notified that it's ready to go (woo hoo), so the next step will be to fill out the "Grandfathered I-600A" forms and send them in.

Although Todd and I aren't GB Packer fans I had to post the above picture because as soon as I hit "publish" on this post we are headed to Green Bay for the game tomorrow. We've both always wanted to see Lambeau Field and his boss gave us 4-tickets to the game. Very exciting. So we're off to the frozen tundra to see our first professional football game outside. It's going to be mid 50's and sunny - a beautiful day for the game. So although it may pain us to do so I'll end with the famous "Go Pack Go" :-)

31-Months :-)

Happy 31-Months to us!

Still hangin' in there.

Still pluggin' along.

Still keepin' the faith.

30-Months :-)

Happy 30-Months!!

Today we celebrate our 30-month LID-anniversary. Yikers - that seems like such a big number. When we first started I remember telling myself that if we could just make it to "30" we'd have it made. By now I was sure the wait would be just about over and we'd be packing our bags and planning the trip to China. Ahhh - how things change. Yes, we've come quite far - but we still have a looooong way to go. We'll get there one day - I know that for a fact, and in the meantime, while the monthly count continues to get bigger, at least the number of referral days ahead of us will continue to get smaller.

In other news, we are preparing to update our paperwork again. Although we are "grandfathered-in", BCIS requires that we submit a new homestudy that is more Hague compliant. So, we're in the process of scheduling visits with our Social Worker, filling out new forms, and preparing updated financials/medicals/employment verifications, etc...

Todd and I made a field trip to the local police department last Friday night for fingerprinting. I know - exciting date night huh? At least we didn't have to go to the bowels of the jail this time. Non-criminals are now fingerprinted in a separate area that actually turned out to be nothing more than a giant storage room/closet. I can't complain though b/c I'd take a stuffy closet over the actual jail area any day. These prints are for the "Adam Walsh Background Check", which is new to us, and separate from the fingerprints that will need to be taken later this year. Honestly though, to me it's just another hoop we have to jump through and another check we have to write in order to become parents. Yes, I know it will all be worth it in the end, but this part of the process is frustrating to me and always will be.

On a positive note, the rumor on the street is that referrals *may* be issued this week, and the C*C*A*A *may* get as far as 3/29/06. I've got my fingers crossed that this rumor holds true. Bring on the referrals and bring on the babies!!

Our SP Strikes Again!!!

Presents - Woo Hoo!!!

I'd like to send another HUGE thank you out to our March Mulberry Secret Pal for the wonderful gifts we received as part of the August exchange. The theme for this month was "summer fun" and our SP didn't disappoint. We received a lovely beach cover-up (that will go quite nicely with the swimming suit we received from our SP last year), pop-beads, hair pretties (always a favorite), and Bento boxes/accessories.

Bento boxes rock and I'm a huge fan of these little guys. I was so excited when I opened the package and came across these little boxes of fun. I think I may have even squealed with delight. I first learned of Bento boxes via the Salsa twins and I remember thinking "what a wonderful way to serve lunch". They are so cute and allow you to serve healthy food in a fun way. For picky eaters what could be better. Ever since, I've always planned on finding Bentos of my own and having a stock on hand when our daughter comes home. Well, our SP beat me to it and provided us with boxes and accessories to start our collection. Woo hoo!!! (For those of you who know me - you know that I LOVE any type of compartment, box, or container, so Bento boxes are right up my alley. In fact, they rank right up there with "hair pretties" and we all know how much I love those little accessories - a wide array of Bento boxes will definitely be in our future.)

Ok - moving on to the "pop beads". I'm not sure if that's the actual name of this toy or not - but that is what we called them growing up. The reason being is that they look like giant beads to us, and when you pull the linked beads apart they make a "pop" noise. Hence the name and it's stuck ever since. Pop beads are so cool to play with - we used to link all of the beads together and make crowns and necklaces - super fun. I love the new colors/shapes that the beads come in these days. In fact, I've already played with them, and although Mr. Todd wasn't around to see the new crown placed upon my head I explained it all to the kitty, and we both agreed that these toys are great. I for the crown/necklace possibilities and Noel (the kitty) because she liked batting the loose beads around on the floor.

So thank you again SP for the great gift assortment. All of the presents are much appreciated and will definitely be put to good use when our little one joins the family - or in the case of the pop beads before b/c they are too fun not to play with right now :-)

Happy 29 & Many Thanks!!

Happy 29 to us!!

On Friday we will celebrate our 29-month LID anniversary. I'm posting early b/c we'll be at a wedding on Friday and I won't have much computer time between now and then. Ahhh, what a difference a month makes. Last month at this time I was very grumpy and having a hard time with the wait. Today I'm in good spirits and can't believe how fast the time is flying by. It's a crazy journey we're on - good days, bad days, long days, short days - all we can do is hang on and make the best of the ride. As far as updates go, we're still waiting for the next round of referrals to be issued. According to RQ, the early projections are that the C*C*A*A has completed referrals throuh 3/24/06, which would mean 2-days. It's not much, but at least it's something :-)

Earlier this month I participated in a blogger book swap and it was a ton of fun. Kim of the blog Journey to Isabella organized the exchange and actually wound up being my partner. She sent me the book "God Made Me In China" by Kristy Rodriguez. What a wonderful story, and one that I can't wait to share with our daughter when the time comes. As Kristy states on her blog, "it is a story of adoption and about the differences God gives us, but how he loves each of us just the way we are". What a wonderful message. Thanks again Kim - I love it!!

I'd also like to thank my Secret Pal for the wonderful gift of clothing. I swear she is single handedly stocking our daughter's closet all by herself. I actually had to go out and buy hangers. How fun, my first set of baby hangers - woo hoo :-) We received a variety of outfits including short sets, a sweet little dress, pair of jammies, and outfits for spring or fall. She also included a package of hair pretties, which was wonderful b/c as we all know, no outfit is complete without this essential accessory. Thank you very much SP for the great gifts. I hope you are settling into your new house and loving every minute of it!

I'm off for now - time to prepare for the wedding and finish laundry. Night all!!

**Special Note**

This special note goes out to Kristine who works at our dentist office, keeps us on track with appointments, and is also a great friend. I was wrong when stating in my last post that I enjoy being fingerprinted about as much as going to the dentist. Seeing you (and Heather) is the highlight of the visit and actually makes the appointment fun. So, I take back what I said and will replace "dentist" with "doctor". Ok? ok :-)