Today Is A New Day!

What a difference a day makes.

First off let me say that my last post was a little inaccurate...this is what happens when you read something quickly and you do not fully read everything that is printed.

I looks like the agency that got preferential treatment is only a couple of months ahead in the LID race of receiving referrals...not years...now I must point out that the entire year so far for 2007 has only referred the months of October 2005 and part of November 2005...it has taken an entire nine months so far to refer just a month and a half of logged in dossiers.

So the agency with preferential treatment is ahead of the game...what I'm reading is that they are three months ahead in the referral process so that takes them into February 2006 and everyone else is trying to get out of November 2005.

The GOOD NEWS today is that the CCAA has finished the review of all dossiers through August 2006...Our dossier is six months away from review and it's nice to see some progress that will affect us.

It's Just Not Right!!!

There is talk out there in the adoption community that an adoption agency is getting preferential treatment and they are getting their referrals a lot faster than other agencies. Unfortunately, no agency name is being mentioned.

The talk is that these people who are getting preferential treatment have LID's months beyond what the CCAA is currently referring! Basically, they are in the "FAST LANE" and everyone else is in the "SLOW LANE"!! The fast lane meaning only "months" before your referral and the slow lane meaning "years" before your referral.

I'm concerned for a couple of reasons:

1. It would be very troubling if referrals were not sent in order of date of application submisson
2. I hope that nothing unethical or illegal is happening
3. I hope that the best interest of the child is still the most important
4. China has been the IA (International Adoption) program that has been the most stable and ethical program.

So, now you ask the questions. Should we be concerned that this is going to lead to problems with the program, I hope not.

Is this something that will be looked at by either the CCAA or a Regulatory Agency, I hope so.

This may or may not affect our adoptions, I just don't know.

There have been so many "Changes" since we started this adoption that it can become very overwelming at times and you just hope that it will all work out in the end.

I'm seeing so many people leave the China program from the different groups that I belong too. This is so sad because their heart is with China and the guideline changes, the extended wait periods and now this...I can understand, but I need to hold firm because our daughter is in China and she will be coming home to us some day.

Crabby, crabby, crabby

I don't know what it is about today, but I'm real crabby and I think that it's mostly work related and a little bit adoption related...honestly, I think this is going to be a trend from now until we get our referral and really, maybe more than just a little adoption related.

We are all (us prospective adoptive parents) anxiously awaiting word from the CCAA so see how far they will get with the referrals this month. The hope is that they will get to at least December 5th...but it's a let's wait patiently and see. This is the last week of the month so news should be coming soon (hopefully before the end of the month).

I'm just CRABBY...it will go away.

Quilts Squares and Lobsta

I've been cutting and cutting and cutting for the past two days. I'm cutting all of the quilt squares that I received from everyone down to 2"x2" squares. I'm averaging between 12 - 16 squares per piece of fabric (some fabric is larger than others). I can't wait to start sewing!!

I went up mom and dad's for dad's birthday and we were going out to dinner for very large baked stuffed lobsta...we couldn't wait (me and dad) and when we got there...they were closed!! Michael and I are going to have to make a special trip up to mom and dads before the fall foliage is done...the restaurant will be closing for the season in the next couple of weeks.

Let the Quilting Begin!!

I'm very excited to announce that I will be attempting to sew my 100 Good Wish Quilt for our dear daughter. The sewing lesson that I had this week was short and sweet. Basically she showed my how to thread the machine and were the bobbin goes and then told me to sew a straight line on a piece of scrap fabric.

I sewed three strait lines and I was told "You can sew".

Basically, for the project that I'm trying to do it is all strait lines. I will be sewing the top pieces of the quilt together and I will need to hire someone to do the actual quilting. I'm planning on making a Queen size so that will need a real big sewing machine when it comes time to quilt.

I picked out a pattern. Because I have so many different types of fabrics I chose to make an "Arkansan Crossroads" quilt. This quilt is made up of 2x2 inch squares of different fabrics and I think that it's going to look great!!

Here is the picture from the book that I purchased--the book is called: Quilts from the Heart *Quick projects for generous giving by Karin Renaud. This book is great...the patterns are geared for the beginner or advanced beginner quilter...just up my alley!

These are smaller quilts that are donated to different causes for children. I loved the look with all the different fabrics so I just need to increase the size to accommodate a Queen...but any way...I can go on and on...wish me luck! This should keep me busy during the winter. I'm turning the nursery into a guest/sewing room until we get referral.

Here is the picture:

Updated Home Study Required

We just received paperwork in the mail to update our home study--it's about to expire!! So, I need to get updated CORI forms, updated medicals and updated authorization requests and these need to be notarized for the adoption agency for both of us. Our social worker will then update our home study for China.

Pretty soon we are going to have to update our immigration paperwork and fingerprints, but we have a little bit more time for those.

So we are off and running again in paper chase mode!

I wonder how many times we will have to update our paperwork before the baby comes home????

Thank you Secret Buddy

Secret Buddy--you're the best!! I wanted to thank you for the GREAT gifts that you pick out for us each and every month. Thank you for including ALL of us in your thoughts and picking out special gifts for us--you really make us all feel very special indeed!

This month is definitely a "Kathy" month. I got the DVD "The Note Book" by Nicholas Sparks--I heard this movie was really good. If it's anything like Message in a Bottle I will love it!! I got a real nice straw purse, a note pad set with lady bugs, a very pretty picture frame and KY Message oil--oh la la (I told Michael that the message oil was for him "TO MASSAGE ME" haha) to use either during or after watching the DVD.

We also got the cutes Tinkerbell bubble bath for the baby and Link a doos (My niece swears by these because the keep the toys in the carriage)--take a look--I took 4 pictures so that I could get everything posted and when I went to transfer them there was only one--go figure--I did something wrong!



Thanks again Jan2007DTC Buddy--Next month you need to give me a little bit of information about you and your family so that we can get you know you a little better. It has been so nice to have this distraction and to know that we really are not in this alone.

I pray that you have "good" wait days and if you ever have a "bad" wait day that they pass quickly!!

Happy Birthday Dad

Today is my dad's birthday. He is 73 years old today!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!!

Not bad for 73 and yes, that is his natural hair color--here is a picture of Dad with Gabrielle (his eighth great grandchild)

7 Months Today LID - Woo Hoo...

Woo Hoo! Another milestone reached!! Today is our Seven month anniversary of our LID (Log in date) with the CCAA (China Center for Adoption Affairs).

They say that the wait to receive a referral is 24+ months, so each monthly milestone that we reach brings us that much closer to our daughter.

Let the Sewing begin...

I finally did it and I didn't procrastinate too long about it!

I'm starting my sewing lessons next week. I have a private lesson scheduled just to get me comfortable with the sewing machine...let's hope that we get along well (me and the machine). If all goes according to plan, I will be starting my 100 Good Wish Quilt by October!!

And, if this works out, it will give Michael (HINT) a great idea (HINT) on what to get me (HINT) for Christmas (HINT-HINT) but first we must see how we (me and the SEWING MACHINE--HINT-HINT-HINT) manage :0)

The owner of the store was very helpful, they can help me plan how I want to put this together and pick the backing to be used and different designs that we can consider--it should be fun.

Wish me luck!!

FALL IS IN THE AIR

This is my FAVORITE time of the year!! I know that you can still technically call it summer because we still have the hot weather, but, this has just been the best week ever!!

I love opening all the windows especially at night--I'm so done with the air conditioners!!

I love going to work in the morning and having the sun shining and a crispness to the air that makes you want to get a jacket.

I love that the trees will start to turn colors.

I love to sit outside at night and light the wood stove.

I love that it starts out crisp in the morning and then warms up during the day.

I love that we can actually use our deck that has been to hot to use this summer.

I love wearing shorts with a sweatshirt.

I love that it's getting darker before 9:00pm.

I love that all the fairs are going to be coming back any time now.

I love love love Halloween!

I've visited many places and none can hold a candle to New England in the Fall.

Oh yes, Fall is in the air and I'm loving it!!

Thanks Secret Buddy (Jan. 2007 Yahoo Group)

What send out a BIG THANK YOU to my January Group Secret Buddy!!

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the tableware set, book and toys. Michael liked his toys too!!

Thanks again!

Roller Coaster Ride

WOW--you talk about a roller coaster ride!! One day your up and the next you down--I can't wait for this crazy ride to end!! Unfortunately, we haven't even scratched the surface yet...

I guess all I can do is to put my arms up high in the air and yell WEEEEEEEEEEE!

Not so good...

Well it's official! The CCAA (China Center for Adoption Affairs) referred three days worth of applications for the entire month August. So this brings us up to November 24, 2005.

Will we ever meet our little girl? What kind of twists and turns are we going to have to deal with before our application comes up? What if we get sick between now and then, what if we have some life changing SOMETHING before our turn??

It's crazy...I'm trying to keep the faith!

WOW...September Already!!

I can't believe that it is September already. I have never wished away time as much as I have with this adoption. The time is flying...I guess that this keeping busy stuff really works!!

The Crazy Things That People Say...

I know that most people mean well when they ask us questions about our adoption and would never knowingly ask embarrassing or intrusive questions.

I'm at the point where I don't bring up our adoption to people who do not know we are adopting because of a couple of reasons: 1. we are currently facing a very long wait--we are seven months into a possible two year or longer wait and 2. it opens the dialogue for people to say pretty much whatever pops into their head at that moment when they learn what we are doing.

I try to answer these type of questions as diplomatically as possible, BUT, I'm still new at this and sometimes the questions just take me back a little bit and my response isn't as smooth as I hope it can be.

I just hope that people learn to think about the questions that they are asking and to ask themselves if it is an appropriate question--why do they need to know? Are they planning on adopting or are they just curious? How would they feel if I asked them that same question about their family? Or their finances? Or why they made the choices that they made for their family???

Last night I was asked a question from one of my sisters friends. I tried to respond to the question by turning it back around to him about his family and I didn't do a very good job of it...I made him feel very uncomfortable and that is not what I was trying to do...I think that he realized that it was an inappropriate question to ask.

I know that with our international adoption that our family will be faced with all kinds of questions...good and bad...and there will be more and more questions once we get our dear daughter home and that is just going to be how it is.

My hope is that once our girl is home that people truly think about what they say before they say it...especially in front of our daughter.